Unnatural Progression
by Slayzer
Summary: Lightning has a mishap on Gran Pulse and finds herself reverted back into a fifteen year old girl. So Light's a bit unstable, the rest of the group is lost and Hope is even more confused by what this change brings out in his feeling for Light.
1. Chapter 1

I just wanted to try my hand at an age bending fic so here we go.

Final Fantasy XIII is owned by Square Enix

Unnatural Progression

Lightning march on despite the pain in her feet or the numbness in her legs.

"Oh boy my dogs are killing me!" Sazh said rather to loudly even if he didn't look the slightest bit winded.

"Then how about a nice little rest? Just to get our strength back." Vanille added happily, a bit too happily.

Lightning ground her teeth together as everyone looked at her for the okay. No they were all fine but she was the one who need a rest but she wasn't going to admit that.

"What are you all whining about I can cover three times this distances before needing a rest." Lightning was shocked by how her voice sounded. No longer did her words carry with them the commanding sound of a Sergeant but they now sounded like a boasting child.

Appropriate as Lightning had the body of a fifteen year old girl. Something that had happened just the other day.

Yesterday the group came across a Cie'th stone but it had been damaged somehow. The extent and type of damage was unknown until Lightning, the groups leader, went to interact with it. The Cie'th stone bathed her in some odd magic light. She felt like her body was melting from the inside out. She could hear the others call out to her but then the stone exploded knocking Lightning off her feet and unconsciousness.

Snow's voice was the first thing Lightning heard as she came out of the darkness. "Lightning! My god are you okay! Fang what the hell happened to her!"

"Don't ask me! How the hell should know!" there was just about as much anxiety and fear in Fangs words as there was in Snow's. Now Lightning go worried, Fang was always to cool to ever get rattled like that.

Slowly feeling to make sure that she still had all her parts Lightning pulled herself up. "What are you taking about? What's wrong with me?"

Lightning didn't need an answers as the moment she stood up her belt, gunblade and skirt slide right of her to small waist, luckily her shirt now hung off her like a baggy dress and the hem of her coat now brushed against her knees. "My clothing got bigger?"

Lightning looked to Snow to ask what happened but he was taller then her not and just normally taller then her but like she only just came up to his chest taller then her. Vanille was even an inch or two taller then Lightning was now. It dawned on her that her clothing wasn't the problem, she had gotten smaller.

Sazh pulled out his hand mirror, hey an afro doesn't take care of itself, and gave it to Lightning. She almost screamed at her reflection. Lightning did recognizes herself but from her memories of six years ago. Lightning looked exactly like she did when she was fifteen years old.

"Just take nice slow deep breaths." Vanille said as calmly as she could.

'Right, nice deep breaths.' Lightning thought as she took in a deep soothing lungful of air. The panic that threaded to overwhelm her subsided. Yes this was a problem but freaking out wouldn't help her.

As Lightning took in another deep breath she felt something lose against her skin. It took her a moment to realize it was her bra now far to large to accommodate her small breast. That was the last straw and her mind began to shut down.

Lightning wobbled for a moment and then toppled over. Everyone had been to stunned to move or even get close to her. Once lightning started to fall however Hope was the first one to react. He ran over and managed to catch her before she hit the ground.

Hope was shocked by how light and how slender she was. Then there was the fact then never in a million years did Hope ever believe he would be holding Lightning in his arms like this.

"My breast… … so small." were Lightning's last words before she lapsed into unconsciousness.

Hope swallow the large lump that formed in his thought at Lightning's last words. 'There perfectly fine breast if you ask me.' that thought came to him unbidden but it wasn't untrue. Even as a girl about his age Hope thought Lightning had very nice breast. Hope was trying to stop Lightning from falling but now that he had her his mind quickly filled with other thoughts, that kind that made him blush.

"Would some please take her from me?" Hope asked looking for some help.

That night Vanille tailored Lightning uniform to fit her new frame but she have to do with the shoulder pads. Fang had managed to make a pair of sandals for Lightning as her boots were way to big.

As both Fang and Vanillle tended to Lightning's clothing situation the guys discussed what to do about it. In the end there was nothing that they could do about it but strangely Hope was every quite that whole evening as if his mind was elsewhere.

Their already strange trip just got even stranger.

-end-

Short I know but I'm bagging this out before I have to go into work.

Some sad news my laptop has died after almost nine years of faithful service. Farwell old friend! So I'm using my brother's laptop for the time being.

Anyway thanks for reading and if you liked say so and if you didn't say what you thought I did wrong. It's all every helpful so just say something.

P.S God this Laptop is so much better then my old one.


	2. Chapter 2

**Final Fantasy XIII is owned by Square Enix and I get nothing out of this but my own enjoyment. **

**Unnatural Progression**

**By: Slayzer**

**Part Two**

**Lightning could not remember being so tired in her whole life. Even the long days and short nights of boot camp and been easier then hiking though Pulse. Then again she didn't go through boot camp as a fifteen year old girl.**

**The groups progress through Pulse had slowed considerably and it was Lightning's fault. Forget fighting off any monsters, as it took all of Light's efforts to just keep up with everyone. She was always in the rear struggling to keep up, even Hope kept pace ahead of her. That was hard on Lightning, the fact that Hope, the kid she twice tried to leave behind, was now ahead of her. **

**Then there was everyone treating her with kid gloves. She had been somewhat the groups leader, in many ways their core but now it felt like she was a handicap. It didn't help that everyone was treating her like one. The only exception was Hope but he was still treating her differently but not like the others. In fact he seemed to be rather cold to Lightning, almost angry with her.**

**It was only halfway though midday when Lightning could go on no longer but her pride wouldn't allow her to ask for a rest, she was slowing them down enough as it was. That fact hurt her more then her tired body did so she pushed herself on. Lightning made it for one more hour before she tripped over her own foot and stumbled to the ground.**

'**Get up damn it.' Lightning thought as she tried to force herself on but her body won't obey. Even the cold hard pulse dirt felt heavenly to her sore body and she passed out.**

**It was several long hours before Lightning woke up. By then it was the dark of night and she found herself near a campfire in a clearing. All Lightning could see was the fire and a lone tall gnarled old tree near by. For one terrifying moment Lightning thought that she had been abandoned.**

"**You awake now?" Hope called out from somewhere in the darkness. **

**Lightning sat up as saw Hope walking toward her with a canteen of water. "Here, drink this." Hope said as he threw the canteen at her.**

**Hope's cold attitude was a little jarring but the need for water out weighted indignation. That cool water was possible the sweetest thing Lightning ever had. "Wh…" she started and stopped as her throat was too sore and she took another drink of water. "Where are the others?"**

"**Out getting food and fire wood. They left me here to look after you. Ha, that's a first, me looking out for you." Hope still had this coldness toward Light.**

"**Are you enjoying this, seeing me so weak like this?" Lightning asked her eyes narrowing into razor edged slits.**

"**No, I hate seeing the people I care about in pain. But what's worse is when the people you care about don't trust you back." Hope's voice soften a little as he spoke. "Light I know how you feel and I, no everyone, wants to help you but your pushing us away."**

"**You don't know how I feel, you couldn't possibly know how this feels. In my whole life the only thing I could totally depended on was myself and now that's gone. I feel like I'm being betrayed by my own body, this useless weak body."**

"**Your only useless and weak if you allow yourself to be. There are still so many things you can do but your stopping yourself from growing."**

"**I don't need sympathy from you!"**

"**Don't mistake understanding for sympathy!"**

**Hope threw his hands up and turned around, it seemed that talking Lightning though her problem wasn't going to work. He didn't like it but he only had one option left to him and he knew it was going to hurt, a lot.**

"**Okay then Lightning how about a little sparring?" Hope asked as he gathered some magic power in his hands. "Waterga!"**

**A torrent of water slammed into Lightning and knocked her out of the campsite. Never in a thousand years did Lightning ever think that Hope would attack her. It wasn't a joke, there was real intent behind that attack. **

"**What the hells the matter with you!"**

"**As there aren't any more eidolons out there to knock some senses into I guess I'll have to do it." Hope drew his boomerang as he talked.**

"**I won't forgive this!" Lightning yelled as she tried to pull her gunblade free. The weight was to much for her arm and the tip hit the ground, stuck half way through it's transformation. She was left open. 'Shit!'**

"**Areoga!"**

**Again the magic attack knocked Lightning from her feet but this time Hope fallowed it up with a boomerang attack. The boomerang attacked her airborne body like an eagle swooping in for the kill. When Lightning hit the ground again her whole body felt like one big burse.**

"**You know Light, maybe it be better for everyone if you didn't come with us. I mean we could find you a rock to hide under. Snow can save Searh without you." their was a sarcastic bite to Hope's words.**

**Lightning wasted no time getting to her feet, she may not have her weapon but she wasn't without means to fight back. "Blizzaga!" Lightning's own magic power was nothing to look down on.**

**Hope didn't move to doge the ice spell but instead countered it with his own magic. "Firaga!"**

**The two spell meet halfway between the fighters and Hope's fire spell completely overpowered Lightning's ice magic. She had to shield her eyes from the blast back of Hope's magic as it enveloped her own spell. As the smoke cleared she saw Hope looking almost disappointed. "Is that it? Is that really all you have in you?"**

**The one thing Lightning's fifteen year old body still retained was her magic power. However when it comes to magic the gape in power is absolute, the stronger power wins and the weaker one loses. In effect it was like she was taking on someone with pistol when all she had was a slingshot. **

**Looking at Hope from across the battlefield lightning felt something eating at her, it was imitation. The difference in there magic power seemed to give Hope an overpowering aura.**

'**So this is what it's like to fight a l'Cie? No, it's closer to say this is what it's like to fight Hope. That overwhelming magic power is something unique to him.'**

**They say you never truly know someone's strength until you faced them. That goes for your allies as well as your enemies. For all the times they fought side by side Lightning never knew what would be like on the other side of Hope's Ravager attacks. She was a little stunted by how wide that gap in their power was and yet she was also proud of him. It was as if the lost little chick she found and raised had grown into an hawk.**

**Memories of who Hope used to be came running back to Lightning. Hope as a scared lost child who was so wrapped up in his own grief and anger. Hope who had to over come so much including Lightning's own icy temper. Now the rolls were reversed and it felt like it was Lightning who was the one left behind. In truth they all been waiting for her to get back up, here was Hope in a way with his hand out stretched to her daring her to rise up but she was to busy feeling sorry for herself.**

"**Pathetic… really how could I get so pathetic." Lightning said to herself as she reached into her supply pack and found the knife her sister gave her. Unlike her gunblade the knife was light in her hands and far easier to use. The blade flipped out with a threatening click and Lightning felt a little like her old self. No what she found was a little more of her old resolve, to save Searh and everyone.**

**Lightning charged Hope as he sent his boomerang flying at her but this time she was ready. With knife in hand she keep the boomerang at by as if she was swatting away a pesky bug. She may not have been covering ground as fast as she use to but her moves where still there. Yes, Lightning had lost much but it was nothing that she couldn't regain with time and effort.**

**As Lightning closed in on Hope she sent several Ruin spells at him to distracted him and brake his guard. It wasn't enough totally brake Hope's concentration as he ready another major spell but it bought Lightning some time. If Lighting was going to win this fight she had to get in close. As she drew in closer Hope's right had shimmer with magic power but before he could finish the motion to aim and attack, Lightning's hand grabbed his wrist.**

**For one brief moment Hope saw Lightning with her hair trailing behind her in her mad dash as her hand tighten around his wrist. Then she smiled as if to say 'Got you!' then the would world was flipped upside down as she lunched him into the air.**

"**Thundaga!" the sky lit up as powerful bolts of lightning magic blasted Hope's defenseless body. **

**She was back, Lightning felt like her old self again but that rush quickly turned to dread. Hope landed hard with a sickening thud and was as lifeless as a rag doll. For a few horrifying seconds Lightning thought she went to far but she couldn't stop herself. There was no other way she could have beaten Hope without getting serious.**

**A low pained grown escaped Hope's lips as he worked some healing magic on himself. The dread Lightning was feeling was washed away by something else, a torrent of emotions from joy, relief, anger, sadness, regret and so many others. Lightning ran over to be by Hope's side and by the time she got there he was already partly healed. Not having the best of a defense Hope made up for it by having amazing healing skills.**

**Light grasped the still injured boy by the collar of his shirt and shook him. "Idiot, stupid, damn fool!" tears threatened to run out of her eyes as she yelled at him.**

"**Light…" once again Hope found himself at a loss as to what to say to her.**

"**Shut up! Damn you, I never ever wanted to hurt you but then you made me and I thought for a moment that I…" she couldn't say it, that for a horrible moment she thought she killed him. "What the hell where you thinking!"**

"**I know what your going though. I know that despair and self-loathing are hard to shake off and how they just eat away at you. Besides as much as this hurts it's nothing compared to seeing you suffer like that."**

"**You think that makes it's okay for you to get hurt! You think it's okay that I was the one who hurt you!"**

"**Yes" the honesty of Hope's answer surprised Lightning. "I can take some hits just fine but what I couldn't take anymore was seeing you doubting yourself. Lightning I want you feel like yourself and I saw you regain some of that in this fight. I saw you being the Lightning that you where and still are, the Lightning I admire and respect."**

**Lighting had felt it too in that fight. Her old self. Hope was right about that but it still didn't make this okay. She let go of Hope and turned away from him in a huff with her arms crossed. **

"**First of all leave that Macho 'pain is nothing' crap to Snow, I don't find that attitude cute at all." there was still anger in her voice but the fire had gone out of it.**

"**Right, I'll never do this again."**

"**Good and Secondly, if you ever do spar with me again don't hold back like you where. You didn't cast any buffing spells on yourself or fallow through with your magic attacks. I never taught you to be so half-ass about fighting."**

**With that Hope pulled himself to his feet but his right side was still bothering him a bit. The two made their way back to camp in almost a near silences. Only once did Hope dare to brake that quiet. "So Light about what you said, you know about how I should leave the Macho crap to Snow."**

"**What?" Lightning was unsure were Hope was going with this.**

"**So can I take it that you don't like Macho guys and that cute boys are more your type."**

"**it's none of your business what my 'Type' is!" Lightning said as she stepped up her pace. Hope couldn't see her face but he could tell she was blushing.**

**When they made it back to camp Hope was the first one to turn in. He picked a soft spot of mossy ground under the tree and laid down to sleep, careful of his right side.**

"**Are you okay?" there was a spot of guilt in Lightning's voice as she asked.**

"**Yeah, I just need a night's rest and then I'll be fine."**

"**Here, move over a bit."**

**Lightning laid down right next to Hope on his right side and rolled into him a bit. Lightning was now pressed up right next to Hope with her head resting on his shoulder like a pillow. The sudden warmth and weight of Lightning's body eased the pain in Hope's side.**

"**Light what are you doing?"**

"**I'm sharing my body heat with you so you'll heal quicker."**

"**So this isn't cuddling?" now it was Hope's turn to blush as stray strands of Lightning soft strawberry hair tickled his face.**

"**Right, this is sharing body heat like I learned in survival training, defiantly not… …that other thing."**

**Both of them being exhausted they quickly fell asleep. It was the best night of sleep either of them had on Gran Pulse.**

**Ten minutest later the rest of the heroes arrived back in camp. They saw the magic battle from afar and thought a monster had attacked.**

"**Is everyone Okay?" Snow said making a scan of the camp. Lightning wasn't were they left her and Hope was gone as well. "Damn it where are they?"**

**Vanille giggled a bit trying hard not to make to much noise. "I found them and I think they'll be all right."**

"**Now ain't that a sight." Sazh said with a wining smile as he stood next to Vanille. **

**The rest of the heroes gathered around the sleeping forms of Hope and Light cuddling together under a tree. We'll sharing body heat but they didn't know that.**

**Fang scratched her head unsure of what to make of this. "Think we should wake them up or at lest separate them?"**

**Snow shook his head and took off his coat. "No I think we should let them sleep." he then draped his coat over the two sleeping kids as a blanket.**

"**Well they are not getting out of this without an explanation****." Vanille said with a smile as she thought of what the morning would bring.**

**-end-**

**Okay now just imagine it. A young Lightning and Hope cuddling together under Snow's coat, too cute right?**

**I thought Hope would take charge here and try to smack Lighting out of her funk and I kind of like how this all went. Like I've said before I never really map out my Ficfic ideas and they just kind of go where they take me. I find my imagination is better that way and I'm happier with the results.**

**But it doesn't matter what I think of my work it's your own feed back I need. **

**So as drop me line or a bomb I don't care just say something as it's all helpful.**

**Thank you for reading.**


	3. Chapter 3

Slayzer: -Humming Katy Perry's Teenage Dream-

Light: I didn't think you like that kind of music?

Slayzer: I don't usually but this song is kind of my Light/Hope anthem. (doesn't help that song get's stuck in my head like it was pounded in with a hammer)

Hope: We have an anthem now?

Slayzer: I'm just saying I think the lyrics fit the mood of Light/Hope fandom and works as the inspiration this fan fiction.

light: If music inspirers him then I think we need to be afraid. -looks though Slayzer's CD collection-

Slayzer: Anyway no one want's to hear about my taste in music…

Hope: Or lack there of. You know buying CDs is kind of passé right? Most people just download the songs they like on MP3s.

Slayzer: -Glares- So let's move on.

I'd like to thank everyone for the Reviews.

I started this very haphazardly and without a clear mind set on what I want to do with it but I'm happy so many have taken a liking to it.

So again thank you all.

I do not own anything off Final Fantasy XIII but for one copy of the game, everything else is Square Enix

also not mine the song "Teenage Dream" as that's Katy Perry not that I'm using it in this fic but hey the record labels are after everyone now these days.

Unnatural Progression

By: Slayzer

Part Three

It was soft and warm. Whatever it was that Lightning was sleeping against. After weeks of roughing it out it the wilderness it was nice to finally have something nice to sleep on. Slowly as her mind filtered memories through her dream hazy, the soft warm thing she was nuzzling against so contently was Hope.

Lightning's eyes snapped open with that delayed revelation. Her head as still resting on Hope's right shoulder but in the night she had draped one arm over his chest and her hand rested on his left shoulder. It seemed as if in the night Lightning had spread herself over Hope in her sleep. It was innocent of course, it was just that Hope felt warm and soft so she moved closer to him.

Thankfully, Hope was still asleep an unaware of Lightning's encroachment on his personal self. Lightning slowly untangled herself from Hope but the blanket on top of them was moving to much. 'Wait, when did we get a blanket?'

It wasn't a blanket at all but Snow's coat that and been draped over her and Hope. Knowing that everyone had seen her and Hope like this was a bit like a cold bucket of ice water, she jumped right up.

Everyone was back at the camp and making breakfast. No one moved to make eye contact with Lightning as they all had their backs to her. Lightning could see through them and feel the smiles they tried to hide.

Lightning's sudden movement woke Hope up but he was still groggy from last night's fight and hadn't noticed that everyone was back. Hope stretched and yawned as he got up. "Light couldn't you let me sleep for a little more. You were too rough last night and really wore me out." he also didn't know what he was saying.

Vanille couldn't take it any more a broke out laughing, everyone else fallowed soon after her. The laughter woke Hope up all the way and he saw how his words had been taken.

Fang couldn't help herself. "How bold of you Lightning to take charge like that. I didn't think you had it you." after all how often has she really had a chance to get at Lightning like this?

Lightning's face started to color, both from anger and embarrassment. "That's not what happened. Hope started it and I just reacted…" Lightning stopped talking and slapped her hand against her forehead. She wasn't doing any better then Hope did at explaining this.

"So it was consensual roughness last night?" Snow asked while trying to hold in another laughing fit.

Hope found himself blushing a deeper shade of red and tried again to clear this up. "Sparring! We were sparring last night, that's all. I got hurt and Lightning was just trying to help me stay warm by sharing some body heat."

Sazh put his hands up defensibly as he chuckled to himself. "Okay, okay. we got it. You two where sharing body heat, if saying it like that helps you sleep better at night then we're not going to argue it."

Snow slapped Sazh on the back a little too roughly. "What are you talking about? If anything help's Lightning sleep better at night it's clearly Hope."

Hope and Lightning blushed ever redder as another round of laughter took over the group.

Vanille finally got her giggling under control enough to speak. "I'm sorry. I believe you both about the sparring, after all we did see quite the magic display last night. It's just that when we got back to camp you two looked so cute as a couple all cuddled together."

Lightning's eye started to twitch in annoyance as this had gone too far. "We were not cuddling but sharing body heat, that's all it was! Also there is absolutely no way that me and Hope would ever be a couple!"

The mood at the camp changed with Lightning's outburst, the lighthearted air of the morning was gone. Everyone just looked at Lighting with a look of regret as they had carried their fun on too far. Hope tried his best to not to look upset by what Lightning said but could see it in his eyes.

Hope didn't say anything else and just sat down next to Snow for some breakfast, also putting as much space between him and Light as he could.

Lightning reached out to Hope halfheartedly as he brushed past her but she drew her hand back into a fist. Lightning wanted to say something but she could no more find the right words to say to Hope then she could shove the hurtful ones back into her mouth.

'Damn it why do I always do that? I get defensive and angry and then I say something horrible I regret later. I guess really am still me, bad habits and all.'

Lightning cleared her throat and tried her best to move on. "Look I want to say I'm sorry for how I've been acting this past few days…" Light was looking at Hope as she talked but he didn't look up at her. "…I know I haven't been myself but if you'll all help me I think I can go back to being the Lightning I was. I should have asked for help sooner rather then carry on by myself, Hope made that clear to me last night. Even if I don't approve of his methods I'm grateful for his insight and help."

Snow waved Light's apology off as if it there was nothing for her to be sorry about. "Come on don't get so grave it's not like you and you don't need to ask for our help as it's was always there for you. We just thought you needed some time to adjust to your situation."

"Thanks but it turn's out what I needed was a swift kick to the head more then anything. So let's get started, Fang you mind being my sparring partner for a little bit?"

"You don't want anything to eat?"

"No, I'm up and the best time for a work is early in the morning." Lightning's eagerness was about getting away from Hope as much as it was training.

"Okay, let's go."

Vanille finished the rest of her food in several large fast bites. "Hold on, I'm going too."

The three girls left the camp and the boys to themselves. Sazh put his arm around Hope as the boy focused solely on the food in front of him. "You alright?"

"I'm fine, the injuries I took last night have healed up nicely."

"You know that's not what I meant. I was talking about the injury you took just now?"

"Ha, don't worry about it. it's nothing, absolutely nothing. It was all just stupid misunderstanding on my part to think that… ... Yeah it was nothing."

Snow picket his coat off the ground and felt like an ass. What started out as good natured teasing had gone to far. Something real happened last night, some kind of bond formed between Hope and Light and now they gone as soured it.

Hope stopped eating for a moment and looked over at the extra gear they lugged around with them, old weapons and about a thousand other knickknacks salvaged for enemies. Hope thought back to when he asked Lightning if he could get a gunblade like hers but she said it wasn't the right size for him. Now Lightning's gunblade wasn't the right size for her, thinking back to how she couldn't use it last night but what it was just a bit smaller.

Blueprints started forming in Hope's mind as he imagined the changing mechanisms of a gunblade but smaller and stronger. The more Hope thought about the more he thought it was doable. "Sazh, Snow, you guys want to help me with a side project?"

-some distance away from camp-

Fang readied herself for combat, a wooden staff in her hands instead of her normal lance. Lightning stood ready and was likewise armed with a long shaft of wood instead for her gunblade. Vanille was on stand by in case they needed healing, even if they were just training you never know when things could get out of hand.

"Any time your ready girly." Fang mocked Lighting with a teasing challenge.

Lightning moved first, her speed and power not what they use to be but the technique was still there.

Fang managed to block the first strike but if Lightning had been faster the second one would have contented. Fang was having to put forth more and more efforts to keep the young girl at bay. Even if Lightning had yet to win a match all after noon the fact that she was pushing Fang with every duel made her that much more determined. Hell if you could beat Fang just some of the time then you could beat almost everyone most of the time.

The sound of wood and wood combat had an almost musical sound to it as the two faced off. However not one for conventions, Fang would also talk some trash to rail Lightning up. "It's about time you got over yourself and back on your feet. I was starting to think we just have to drag you back to Cocoon ourselves."

Lightning ducked low as Fang's staff swished over her head as she blocked out Fang's prattling.

Seeing as that wasn't working Fang changed gears. "You must have been cozy last night, both you and Hope cuddling… ah sorry sharing body heat like that."

The indignation of the morning's teasing come back to Lightning and she stepped up her attacks. Fang was soon being driven back but she kept up her verbal attack. "So now that it's just us girls let me ask you something. When you and Hope where sharing body heat was any kind of, well you know, F-R-I-C-T-I-O-N used." Fang's drawn out use of the word friction was almost pornographic.

Lightning's footing slipped and before she got back on guard Fang bonked her on the head.

Lightning reeled back a bit to rub the red mark Fang left on her head. "That was cheep."

"Hey I knew that it work so I did it, nothing cheep about that."

"Come on Fang don't you think we've carried that on far enough?" Vanille said from the sidelines.

"Yeah, Yeah, I get it. The joke run on long enough."

Lightning glared at Fang with as much menace as a fifteen year old girl could. "Joke? I can tell you I never found any of it funny. All of you ridiculing me and Hope like that."

"Sure we may have taken our fun a bit to far but the only one who got hurt in all that was Hope and that was your doing."

"It's the truth, we are not a couple."

"I think your words where 'absolutely no way and never be a couple' more then a little hard on him don't you think?"

Lightning cringed at the memory of her ill chosen words, she had been harsher then she would have liked.

Vanille taped Lightning on the shoulder, she seemed really concerned. "Lightning let me ask you, has something happened between you and Hope?"

Lightning bit her lower lip as she tried to sort out last night. How it felt having Hope attack her, the pain of hurting him and then how he felt so nice that morning. Lightning wasn't a different person but over the last week how everyone treated her has changed, even how Lightning viewed herself was different. So then how dose Hope see Lightning now and how dose she see him?

"Hope? Well he's…" Lightning could feel both Fang and Vanille rabid attention as she spoke and it made her uncomfortable . "…Strong."

"Hope's strong?" both of the Pulse women asked.

Lightning found herself smiling at the memory of her fight with Hope. "Yes, he very strong in fact. More then that he's courageous as well. In all the time I've known Hope he's never put on airs of being something he's not or held back from a challenge. Then last night Hope said that I was still the Lightning he respects and admires, that means a lot to me because I haven't felt like that person in a while."

"So then do you like him?" Vanille asked.

"Don't be ridiculous. I have more respect for Hope but he's a kid."

"So are you, at lest now you are." Fang added offhandedly.

Before Lightning could rebuke that point Hope, Snow and Sazh came walking on over. "Hey how's the training going?" Snow asked Fang.

"Give our girl a few more days and she'll be back kicking ass in no time."

"Yeah but how good will she be with a stick as a weapon." Sazh asked as he saw Lightning's new weapon of chose. Sazh then gave Hope a bit of a push, the kid was kind of hanging around in the back of the group.

Hope shot the older man a warring look but Sazh was indifferent to it as was Snow. With nothing else for it Hope steadied himself and walked over to Lightning, who was also apprehensive.

"Light, ah well how do I say this? You need a new weapon."

'My weapon? Hope came all the why out here to talk to me about weapon?' that kind of put her off more then a little.

"Well I remember from last night that you couldn't use your Gunblade so I was wounding what your going to do about it?"

"I'll think of something so don't trouble yourself over it." Lightning said getting angry at him again. 'All day I've been feeling like crap because I blew up at Hope but all he's been thinking about is what I'm going to use in combat.'

Hope glanced behind him at Snow and Sazh for help but the they only waived Hope on like a mute cheering section. Fang and Vanille moved next to the guys to observe him and Light like it was some kind of sitcom.

"The thing is Light, I've already worked something out for you." Hope then reached behind himself handed Lightning a bundle.

Lightning unwrapped the bundle with hesitation. At first she thought it was one of Sazh's guns but then she recognized to gun's odd lines and handle. It was one of her old Gunblades but tooled down to 2/3 it's normal size and it only weighted half as much. Lightning flicked the gunblade open and she half expected it to fall apart but the gunblade's transformation into a sword was as smooth and flawless as a fine timepiece. A few test swipes in the air and Light could feel the both the blades lighter weight and superior balances.

Without saying a word Lightning took off running. She charged a near by tree and run right up the trunk as easily as if it was level ground, her new gunblade slashing the trunk with deep gashes as she made her way up. At nearing the top Lightning took her blade in both hands and readied herself.

"Ravage!" her blade spun gracefully 360 degrees circle. A heartbeat later Lightning kicked herself off the top of the tree with a back flip. As she fell she saw six large pieces of fruit falling with her. Lightning switched her blade back into a gun and fired six shots, each shot exploding a fruit into pulpy mess. A moment later Lightning landed on the ground as softly as a cat.

"I think she likes it Hope." Snow said as he half slapped and half pushed the boy toward Lightning. He stumbled a bit for footing, after all Snow had hit him pretty hard.

"So Light do you like it?" Hope asked tentatively as Light contemplated the gift he had given her.

Lightning was silent for a long while and Hope didn't know what to do next. Should he say something, move toward her or do nothing and wait? Hope looked behind him at everyone else looking for some guidance.

Sazh was pushing the air in front of him down as if to tell Hope to easy up and go slow.

Vanille seemed to be doing some occult Pulseain pray ritual, no help there.

Snow was shaking his fist wildly as if to cheer Hope on and tell him to be more forward.

Fang was, wait what the hell was Fang signaling to Hope? Jugging from the lewd pumping and thrusting motions of her hands, Hope guessed Fang was telling him throw Lightning to the ground and mount her. That couldn't be right, then again it was Fang and sometimes nothing seemed right about her.

'okay no help from the peanut gallery.' Hope thought as he tuned his attention back to Lightning.

"Amazing." Lightning said softly.

"I'm glade you like it."

"I mean you Hope, your amazing. The Guardian Core been trying to miniaturize Gunblades for the past few years and their no where near what you've made here with just a customizing kit and some scrap parts."

Hope blushed at such high praise, he was never good when it came to other people's praise of him, especially from Lightning. "Yeah well you know what they say, necessity is the mother of invention." Hope said as rubbed the back of his head nervously.

"But you don't use gunblades. Making this wasn't a necessity for you, so why do it?"

Hope drew a deep breath and stopped fidgeting. "Because, it's important to you Light and your important to me."

Lightning felt her heart skip a few beats and found herself unable to meet Hope's eyes evenly. "Thank you Hope and I'm sorry, about you know what I said this morning."

"Don't worry about it. It did hurt hearing you say that and to distract myself I just focused on rebuilding a your gunblade but I know that was also just you being you."

"The worst part of me."

"I don't know about that, your assertiveness has saved my life more then a few times and its part of your charm. Now if it's all right with you I'll go and retool the rest of your gunblades."

"I would be grateful if you would."

Hope then turned to leave and Lightning felt odd watching him go. Some odd warmth trembled in her chest and spread throughout her body. Lightning didn't remember ever feeling like this when she was fifteen, nor had she felt like this at any point in her life.

'what is this? I mean it can't be what it feels like right? It's just the hormones all out of balance in this pubescent body of mine. I'm not really developing a some school girl crush on Hope? I'm not really falling in love with him, am I?'

Just the thought of Hope and love sent a pleasant shiver down Lightning's shoulders and caused her heart to beat faster. All signs that despite what Lightning told herself in her mind that her body wasn't listening to her and had it's own opinion of Hope.

"Shit." Lightning said realizing that her life would get even more complicated before it got better.

-End-

I may have made Lightning reaction to harshly to everyone's teasing her. Then when I think about how she at her birthday I think Lightning has a problem overreacting, her abuse of Snow makes this seem even more likely. I also think Hope is emotionally mature (rare at any age) and can brush that off quickly and either dwell on it or hold it over Lightning. As he said it is part of her charm. After all a flower like Lightning has some sharp thorns right?

Hope kind of strikes me as a Gearhead so yeah I think he has the smarts for something like retooling a gunblade, more so if it was for Light.

Anyway you ever watch your best friend talk to a girl and you try to coach them from the background with hand signals? I kind of like the idea of everyone trying to signal Hope advice and him not getting one word of it. Then he just has to go it alone and feel out the moment on his own.

So how was it?

Good, Bad or not enough of either to make it worth even responding to?


	4. Chapter 4

Slayzer: -Playing DS- Man this Four Heroes of Light game is great!

Lighting: Yeah, a few hours into and your already a Brandt/Yunita fan aren't you?

Slayzer: -Shocked- How did you know!

Lighting: If you put Brandt with Aire then it's to much like a Canon couple and you hate that. Also there's your fetish for young boys with older woman.

Slayzer: Don't make me out to be a freak, in fact just for that your going to help me with a Brandt/Yunita play with both you and Hope will play the title rolls.

Hope/Lighting: What!

-Night the city of Guera-

Lighting: Brandt I want you stay here. It's far to dangerous for a young boy like you.

Hope: No, I can handle it! I saved you in the witch's castle didn't I? I know I'm not as strong as Krinjh but give me a chance to prove myself to you.

Lighting: Oh, Brandt. I just don't want to lose you. I failed to protect the Princess once and the kingdom of Horne but if I were to lose you

Hope: -Hugs Lightning- Nothing's going to happen Yunita. please believe in me and I will get stronger I swear it. Just don't leave me alone.

Lighting: 'Why do I feel like this when I'm around him? Why dose this boy move me in ways no man ever could? Yet it is that same feeling that makes me fear for him all that more' -Pulls Hope closer- Brandt…

Hope: Yunita…

Hope/Lighting: - they kiss tenderly-

Slayzer: -Sweatdrop- You two only were only supposed to hug you know.

Hope: -Blushing and to stunned from the kiss to say anything-

Lightning: We were just getting into character!

Slayzer: Right, right tell it to the jury.

All things Final Fantasy are owned by the fine sexy people of Square Enix. that's both FFXIII and The Four Heroes of Light.

Like I said I'm only few hours into the game Four Heroes so if this Brandt Yunita thing doesn't pan out later in the game just keep it to yourself and let me dream of may have been.

Unnatural Progression

By Slayzer.

The sun had set and night fell on the land of Pulse. Our heroes slept soundly as Lightning watched over them but only for half of the first watch. As a young but growing girl Lightning needed her sleep. Snow and Fang had been against it at first but Lightning would not give in. Before her accident she would always be one of a the people on a night watch. It was a matter of Lightning still being who she is and not letting this second childhood stop her.

Snow and Fang had agreed but they only let Lightning take a two hour watch. Lightning felt like they put her on curfew however she agreed to that if only to prove to them that she could do it. Everyone else went right to bed and were soon fast asleep. The stillness of a night on Gran Pulse could do that to you, it make you feel so small and at the same time you're the only thing in the world. It gave Lightning time to reflect on her situation.

'What will Serah think when she sees me. Will she still except me as her older sister or will she shun me.'

Lightning had not been the best big sister to Serah and if fact that had made the two of them strangers to each other. Sometimes when Serah come over to visit Lightning would feel like 'Who the hell are you and why are in my house?' even if they were the only family they had.

Lightning drew her gunblade, it was of a tooled down size just as her clothing were tailored down. In some ways it was like she was a child in a costume. If they made it back to Cocoon Lightning knew she couldn't be part of the Guardian Core. True she resigned to get on the Purge Train but in her heart she was still Sergeant Farron of the Core and prod of it. What would her commanders say if she walked up them as she was now and asked for her old job? They laugh in face and send her away.

The gunblade in Lightning's hands started to tremble, she had nothing.

Serah and her job were the only two things Lightning had, they defined her as much as anything. Lightning thought back to when she was fifteen. The death of her parents still so fresh and needing to look out for Serah in an orphanage and hating all of it. Back then Lightning wasn't a child, she was a non-person and all she wanted was to grow up and be something. Now that something she work so hard to become was gone.

"Dad, Mom…" Hope's soft sleepy voice called out to the darkness and interrupted Lightning's self-pitying.

Hope was fast asleep but it was a troubled sleep. Hope was sprawled out on his back with his yellow coat folded it up and tucked under his head as a pillow. Only the boy's black t-shirt and teal bandana covered his chest that rose and fell with every breath.

'Is he warm enough?' Lightning thought as she quietly moved towered Hope.

'Of course Hope's warm. You know that first hand don't you.' the random thought brought with it the memory of cuddling, no Lightning corrected herself, of sharing body heat with him.

Lightning was now sitting right next to Hope and she remember feeling the rise and fall of his chest as he breathed. The genital rhythm of Hope's life that rocked her to sleep so contently that one night. Now that peaceful rest was trouble by unsettling dreams and seeing Hope like that trouble Lightning as well.

Every so gently she brushed some of Hope's sliver bangs aside and stroked his forehead softly. After a few moment he grew at ease and a small smile crossed his face.

'He must be thinking about his Mother.'

"Light…"

Her heart skipped a beat, had he woken up!

No, Hope was still asleep but he was now dreaming Lightning as she touched his forehead. That feeling of joy mixed with the shot of adrenalin from her almost being discover and made Lightning a little giddy. She looked at how the moon light played on his sliver hair, his cute face and those lips that cooed her name.

'He look's just like a princes from a fairytale.' oddly enough that was not the first time Lightning had that thought.

Back in the Grappa Whitewoods Lightning thought about how she was now literally a knight on a white horse with Odin. If that was true then was Hope the fair Prince she had to protect? Even at the time when Lightning was so cold and driven that childish thought tickled her, even if the gender rolls were reversed.

As a little girl one of Lightning most cherished memories was of her Mother reading fairytales to her. The only reason those were more prominent then others was because as a little girl Lightning loved those stories. It was the knights and how heroic they were that captured the young girls imaginings not the fair princesses.

Somehow that childish fantasy endured in Lightning. She was a brave and noble knight while Hope was her fair Prince. Lightning smiled as she leaned in close to Hope, careful not to awake him.

Then with a voice that was even less then a whisper. "Shall I wake my kind and handsome prince with a tender kiss?"

Lightning leaned in ever closer and ever so slowly, her strawberry hair brushing against Hope's face. She could feel his hot breath as their lips were but inches apart. Lightning took a moment to wet her lips, take a deep breath and close her eyes.

Lightning moved toward Hope for the finish.

"Ohhh! I can't take it's so exciting!" Vanille squealed with repressed childlike joy.

"Damn it, you ruined the moment." Fang said as she playfully slapped Vanille on the back of the head.

Lightning froze, her lips just a finger's breath from Hope's and turned around. There sitting on a log was Fang and Vanille watching Lightning like it was a movie. Adding to the insult was the fact that the two of them were munching on a bag of mixed nuts.

Lightning was trapped, she wanted to yell, attacked and runaway all at the same time but her closeness to Hope made that impossible. So all Lightning could do was bottle those feeling up and blush right to pink roots of her hair.

"Hell, lightning looks like she about to explode." Fang said as she handed Vanille the bag of nuts.

Fang ran over to Lightning and picked the stunned girl up without waking Hope or even disturbing even a blade of grass. Then she and Vanille took Lightning some ways away from camp so she can vent in peace.

Hope rolled over in his sleep, for some reason he felt disappointed.

-some ways away-

"Okay now you can let it all out." Fang told Lightning as she set her down.

Lightning then grabbed Fang with one hand and her gunblade with the other. The looked on the young girl's face was every close to murder. Then after a few deep breaths Lightning let go of both.

Vanille was generally apologetic. "We're so sorry we spied on you Lightning. Fang was going to take over your watch but then she saw you and Hope like that. She woke me up too and well I guess we couldn't help it."

"No, thank you for stopping me. I don't know what came over me but I almost did something foolish."

"Foolish? I thought you were really cute. I never seen your sensitive side and I bet Hope wouldn't mind seeing you like that more often."

"That was just.. I mean I was only a little confused. I don't have feel anything for him."

Fang laughed at that. "Really? I've seen starving Razorclaws with less intent in their eyes then you when you were about to kiss Hope."

"Don't say it like that! I'm not some kind of Predator!"

Predator. That word had another meaning in Cocoon.

Lightning become so upset it almost brought her to tears. "I'm not a predator! I would never hurt Hope like that!"

Vanille reached out to Lightning but she turned away. "Don't you like Hope?"

"No I don't! It would be wrong of me to feel that way for him."

"Why would that be wrong?"

"Because I'm older then him! I don't care what I look like. I know that I'm twenty-one and he's fourteen!"

Fang smiled as she understood Lightning's dilemma. "I see what the problem is. Lightning you've run out of excuses haven't you? Maybe at first you let Hope tag along with you out of sympathy or because in some ways he's like you. Then you decide you have to protect him and train him how to defend himself. Now you realized it's not about any of that and you just enjoy having him around you and you don't know why but then it hits you…"

Fang stops and points to Lightning. "… Lightning you've been in love with Hope for a lot longer then just these past few weeks haven't you?"

Lightning turned away form Fang not wanting to hear anymore. "Ridiculous."

"Yes it is, love is ridiculous and makes fools of us all but here you are in love with Hope. Now, that age barrier isn't there and you can't make excuses for yourself anymore."

Lightning couldn't deny that there was more then a little truth to Fang's words. In many ways, in far to many ways, Hope was Lightning's ideal boyfriend. She wanted someone who excepted her and wouldn't try to change her. He'd be as honest with her as he was with himself. He'd also know when Lightning needed space and when she need to be chased after, even if Lightning was never quite sure of it herself. Hope was all those things and more but Lightning couldn't except that her ideal man was a boy seven years her junior. Now that gap in age was only one year but Lightning's resistances to her growing love was still there.

"Is it really okay to feel like this? Even if these thoughts and emotions of mine were dirty before is it okay now? Wouldn't I still be taking advantage of Hope?"

Vanille hugged Lightning gently with a sad sigh. "Oh, Lightning you need to allow yourself to be happy. Lying only hurts people, I know that for a fact. If you were honest with your feeling and with Hope I'm sure you'd be happy, I'm sure Hope would make you happy."

For the first time Lightning believed that it was okay to fall in love. That it wasn't all heartbreak, hurt and loss.

"Then again maybe Hope doesn't like the new Lightning? If he feel in love with Lightning as she was then he may not like young girls and be more into older woman."

Lightning's stomach leached as the loving high she was on dipped low into doubt. 'I know why they call love an emotional rollercoaster, it makes you want to throw up.'

"Fang don't say that, your upsetting Lightning again!"

"Hey I'm just putting it out there as a possibility but if that's the case then I might be more to Hope's taste then Lightning." Fang waited for what kind of reaction she'd get of Lightning with this.

Lightning cracked open an Fortisol shroud and let the battle enhancing magic wash over her. Fang took a step back seeing that she had crossed so far over a line with Lightning she was in a Kill-Zone. "Wait! Wait! I'm sorry can't you take a joke!"

If Fang's pleadings meant anything to Lightning she didn't show it as she pulled together some powerful thunder magic.

-Back at camp-

The boys were sleeping soundly until a bright flash of light and a loud boom woke them up.

Sazh looked around to see what it was. "What the hell was that?"

"Do you hear something?" Snow asked.

There came a loud pitiful yelping sound, almost like it was part wounded animal and part human.

Several minutes later Lighting retuned to camp without saying a word.

A few minutes after that Vanille retuned dragging Fang's unconscious and scorched body.

"My god what happened to Fang!" Sazh asked helping Vanille move Fang somewhere she could rest.

"Lightning…" Vanille began but was soon cut off by Lightning.

"That's right, she got struck by lightning, it was a freak storm out of no where."

Snow clearly didn't buy it. "Fang was struck by lightning? There's not even a cloud in the sky."

"I did say it was a freak storm." and with no farther expatiations Lightning went to bed, far more tired then she would have like to be.

There was some movement near Lightning as Hope move to lay down next to her. He was maybe only an arms width away and that was as close to her as he dare get to her when she's in a mood.

"So did Fang get struck by lightning or did she get struck by Lightning?" there was a slight nuance in how Hope said her name.

Lightning allowed herself a rare mischievous smile. "I don't know. I guess it's just going to be one of those unsolved mysteries."

Hope chuckled lightly at that and moved to get up.

"You don't have to leave." Lighting was to proud to say that she wanted Hope to stay but he got the message and laid back down.

The two then stayed like that as close to each other as they dare let one another get.

"You know I was having the strangest dream." Hope's voice was just above a whisper so only Lightning could hear him.

"What about?"

"At first I was dreaming of losing my parents and it wasn't at all pleasant but then I felt this, well I don't know, this kindness over me. Then it wasn't so much a dream as it was a feeling. This kind, loving feeling that got stronger and stronger until I felt like something wonderful was going to happen to me."

"How did it feel, was it nice." Lighting asked as she blushed deeply.

"It was beyond nice. I don't think I'd ever felt anything like that before. I just hope I can feel like that again. Anyway I should let you rest, goodnight Lightning."

"Goodnight Hope and sweet dreams."

Lightning dared a smile and a slight blush as she looked over at Hope. 'If you'd let me Hope I'd watch over as you sleep and make sure you only have sweet dreams.'

-end-

Help me! I'm chocking on to much fluff!

-Cough!-

-Gag!-

-Hack!-

-Munch!-

-Oh!-

Fluff taste like cotton candy, yum.

I was working on this chapter for like two weeks and hated it. So I deleted it all and started over from fresh inspiration and came back with this. Is it good? I hope so because I hate to second guess myself but I do think this is far better.

I'll always thought the Fairytale Knight and Princesses metaphor works well for Light/Hope. I mean come on she really is a on a white horse.

Then I thought instead of just having Lightning fall in love with Hope I thought it be cooler if she was always in love with him but repressed that. Now Lightning's had this inner conflict between herself image as she was and still believes herself to be and the new her and her rediscover lover with this second childhood. I think that has a lot more meat on it then just Lightning falling for Hope, she is but she's fighting it for the sake of her pride.

Anyway I find myself using Fang more and more as a comedic foil then anything. After all Fang and Vanille are a little bit like Xenia and Gabriela and sometimes I think their more like Abet and Costello. A lot of untapped comedic energy in those two, far more then picking on Sazh who already is the odd man out in the crew.

So tell me what you think, I love the feedback you've all been giving me and I'm sorry if it's felt like I've ignored this work for a while.


	5. Chapter 5

Final Fantasy XIII is owned by Square Enix. Must I keep repeating that with every update? Clearly I don't own the game or make money off it because if I did I wouldn't be working as hard as I do with my real job.

Unnatural Progression

By Slayzer

Treason, that's what it was and Lightning was sure of it. If she had to guess it was Fang's doing.

This was all payback for Lightning overreacting just a little bit. So what if it was two days before Fang could speak properly or eat solid foods?

'It's not like anyone can understand half of what Fang says normally.'

"Heads up Light!" Hope called out from the top of a tree he had climbed up. He then threw down a large red fruit for Lightning to catch. The fruit was about the size of a cantaloupe but with juicy pulp like watermelon and was very tasty.

Lightning caught it easily and put into the growing pilled of fruit she and Hope had gathered. For the fifth day in a row Lightning was sent out with Hope to forage for food. Something that Hope had always managed to do on his own. Now that Lightning was younger, they thought it best if the two kids were out from underfoot. Lightning remember Hope protesting this job when they first crash landed on Pulse.

-flashback-

"Come on, I can do more then just gather food. Let me do something important."

Fang was not in the mood to get sassed by the boy. "What you don't thinking eating is important? Nice trick you got there then, fighting on an empty stomach."

"You know that's not what I meant. It just feels like your trying to hold me back. It's like you guys don't trust me."

Lightning, then still an adult with all the dignity and respect she earned, turned to talk with Hope. "We all have our jobs to do Hope and this one's yours."

"But…"

Lightning cut him off before he could say anything else. "Hope we all need to work together here if we're going to survive." then Lightning brought out her ace card. She grasped Hope by the shoulders and held him until he looked her in the eyes. "Please."

Lightning could have ordered Hope to do it, threatened him or any number of her usual harsh methods but she went for the sure kill, asking politely.

Hope sighed deeply as if letting all the arguments out of him. "Alright I'll do it but don't think I don't know that your really just trying to keep me out of the way. Ouch!"

Lightning flicked Hope in the forehead and gave him the briefest trace of a smile. "Be that as it may your still going to do it and I'm still going to keep you safe."

-end flashback-

"Look out!"

Lightning had just enough time to look up from her day dreaming to see one of the fruits before it exploded allover her face. The wet nasty mess slid down her cute face as a lump stuck her hair like a hat. She cast her gaze upward at Hope and shot him a look that could kill, at lest if she wasn't covered in fruit pulp.

"Sorry I tried to warn you." Hope started with an apology that turned into a smile.

Lightning just calmly removed the mess from her face as Hope tried not to fall from the tree laughing.

Hope's laughter was cut short as a piece of fruit exploded near his head. Lightning was standing next the pile of fruit like it was an ammo dump. She winged another one at Hope and managed to knocked him off his perch.

"That will teach you. You little brat!"

A low grown of pain came from behind the tree where Hope landed. Fearing for his safety Lightning took of running. However when she ran around the tree Hope wasn't there. 'Where did he go?'

Then as if to answer that thought Hope hit Lightning from behind with another piece of fruit. He was aiming for her back but the throw was low and hit her in the butt. Even more embarrassing then that was the way that Lightning shrieked in surprises.

"Hope you little pervert!"

"Don't look at me like that, it's wasn't like I was aiming there. Besides you started this so you and every part of you is a fair target."

Lightning started to advance on Hope, her eyes shining with revenge and a new fruit in her hands. "So it's a game to you is it?"

Hope took off running a heartbeat before Lightning but he couldn't put enough distance between them and she caught him. With one hand she threw him to the ground and with the other used his face as a juicer and splatter the fruit all over him.

"Still think it's funny!" and with that Lightning stuffed the rest of the fruity mess down Hope's shirt.

Hope's face was red with fruit juice and bits of pulp were stuck in his hair. Then there was a cool wetness from the fruit bits that were now running down his chest. "No, I don't think it's funny anymore…" he waited a moment as Lightning let go of him. "I think It's hilarious!"

With that he took off running toward the nearby pile of fruit that he and Lightning had been gathering. He chucked one at Lightning and it hit her shoulder. Lightning didn't even brake stride as she ran over and snatched up another fruit.

What happened next was the two them having a pointblank food fight. Both of them hitting each other with large juice filled fruit and laughing like maniacs the whole time. Nether Lightning nor Hope could tell who was winning or what the score was but by the time they ran out of fruit they were both covered in a red pulpy mess.

-a half hour later-

Snow buried his head in his hands and groaned. "What the hell is this? Why am I now the responsible one in this motley little crew!"

Sazh just threw his hands up and shrugged. "Don't look at me for help. I'm only going good at parenting my own son. I just can't deal with other people's kids."

Vanille walked away from Fang as both of them were trying their hardest not to burst out laughing. "Well I have something to say about this." Vanille was sounding very in control and focused. "When we asked you two to bring back some fruit we didn't mean on your clothing!"

Then whatever spell allowed Vanille to keep a straight face vanished and she started laughing.

Lightning and Hope just stood side by side as the mess of red fruit on them started to rot. It was already a sticky mess but now it was starting to attracted bugs.

"Don't look down on me like I'm a child!" Lightning said defiantly. "I know how this looks but don't forget who I am. At the very lest I deserve your respect and I chance to explain myself."

Fang nodded in agreement but with a sly smile on her lips. "Okay then you tell us what happened. We all really want to know."

Lightning cleared her throat and composed herself. "It was all Hope's fault."

"What! You're the one who started throwing fruit at me!"

"No you hit me first when you were in the tree."

"You were the one who started deliberately targeting me and let's not forget that it was your fault for spacing out that got you hit in the first place."

"Enough the both of you!" Snow hollered. "Now both of you stop fighting and go clean up."

Fang pointed to a near by cave. "Your both in luck. There's a hot spring inside that cave. Me and Vanille just came from it and it was very refreshing and by the looks of it, you two could you some refreshing."

Hope and Lightning looked at the cave in silences and growing sense of dread.

"Don't worry we cleared out all the monsters so it's safe."

"That's not the issue." Lightning and Hope said together.

Vanille handed Lightning a stick. "Here take this and draw a 'boy's can't cross line' and everything will be just fine."

"You honestly don't think that will work do you?" Lightning asked blankly as she dropped the stick Vanille gave her.

"You and Hope or old enough that you can work it out yourselves. Just get going, your starting to attracted bugs."

-Hot spring cave-

The hot springs must have been used by humans at one point as it had been carved out evenly around the pool. However time and neglect had resorted much of the floors roughness. The hot spring itself was one wide pool and maybe only three feet deep at the most. There was also no cover to provide privacy. At that moment Lightning would have killed for a couple of towels.

"So how are we going to do this?" asked Hope as the long silences drew on.

"We'll take turn's. One of us takes bath while the other waits outside and then we switch." answered Lightning.

"Okay, I'll go first and then it will be your turn."

"Wait why do you get to go first?"

"I'm a boy and I'll take less time."

"So your saying I'll take to longer because I'm a girl?"

"Yes." it was like Lightning was asking if the sky was blue.

Lightning didn't want to fight with Hope over this but she also didn't want to wait to get cleaned up. So she reach over and took Hope's teal bandana and quickly washed it. After that Lightning rung the bandana out and folded it over a few times lengthwise.

"A blindfold, your kidding me right?" Hope asked as Lightning wrapped the blindfold around his eyes.

"This way I don't have to wait and I'll have my privacy."

"But you'll be able to see me!"

"Don't worry, I am an adult and I can control myself. So when I say I'm not going to peek at you, you can trust me."

Hope swallowed the growing lump of nervousness in his throat. It wasn't just that Lightning was could see him naked but she was going to be nude as well. Only this thin piece of teal cloth keeping the vision of her body from his young eyes.

"Hope if you even think about taking that blindfold off. I will drown you."

Hope only nodded his understanding as a lump of fear jammed up his throat next the lump of nervousness.

Lightning started undressing by removing her gunblade holster and a she cast it to the ground. She cursed the stillness of this cave, every sound she made disrobing was amplified. Her jacket was next and she just started to take off her skirt's but she stopped.

Even if she was sure that Hope couldn't see her it was so embarrassing. Blindfold or not the fact was she was getting naked in the same room as a boy. Not just any boy but Hope, who she had some rather complex and intense feelings for.

"Is everything all right Light? I don't hear you moving around any more."

"I'm fine so don't you…" out of habit Lightning turned to face the person she was talking to and froze.

Hope had already gotten both his jacket and shirt off. He wasn't ripped like Snow but he was well on his way there with a toned and muscular body. It seemed as if Lightning 'toughing up' was working for Hope in other ways. His chest was still all sticky with red juice. It left a red trial as Hope ran a hand down from his neck, to his chest, over his navel and down to the fly of his pants.

"What were you saying Light?" Hope asked his hands stopped just above his zipper.

The only thing Hope heard was a loud splash and Lightning threw herself into the water, still halfway dressed in her shirt and underwear. "We should probably wash our clothes while we're here." Lightning said after she came up for air.

"Good idea."

Whatever tensions Lightning or Hope were feeling were soon washed away in the soothing hot water. It had been so long since either of them had a hot bath. Their clothing was already clean and drying close by on some rocks.

Lightning took a moment to dip her head under the water and let it run through her long hair as she rose up. This all felt so good, when was the last time she could submerge herself in hot water?

It was less odd now that both of them were in the water. Hope being blindfolded gave Lightning some privacy and the water came up to Hope's chest so it covered anything of his that was -ahem- of strategic importance. In her mind Lightning told herself that this was no different then going to the beach, after all boys ran around without shirts on all the time in Bodhum.

However when Lightning looked at Hope to make sure he wasn't looking at her she felt a little odd. Her quick glances were not so quick anymore and she found herself becoming fascinated with Hope's body. This was new and a little frightening to Lightning, she never looked at young boys before like that. Her interest only lay with Hope and it wasn't because of his age but in spite of it. Somehow and Lightning was never sure how he did it but Hope had a hold on her heart that didn't let go.

"Lightning could you help me with something?" Hope asked as he rubbed some water through his hair.

"What is it Hope?"

"My hair's still a mess. I can't really get it clean with this blindfold on. So I was wounding if maybe you'd wash my hair for me?"

The silences that followed was so perfect that the drops of water sounded like beating drums. "Okay…" even the weak whisper that escaped Lightning mouth was easily heard.

Lightning swam up behind Hope and touched him on the shoulder. "Just follow me back into a deeper part of the pool."

"I trust you Light." Hope said as he let her lead him into deeper water. At the deepest part the water came up high on his chest but he wasn't afeard, after all Lightning was here with him.

Lightning made doubly sure that she was squarely behind Hope and in his blind spot before she removed the blindfold. "Now keep your eyes closed Hope and don't you dare turn around."

"I understand."

Then ever so gently Lightning started to wash Hope's hair. Hope had wonderful hair, it wasn't just the color but it's soft texture to. Even wet the long sliver strings slipped through her fingers like silk. She spent more time on Hope's hair then she did her own. "Take a breath Hope I'm going to dip your head underwater for a moment."

Hope sucked in a lungful of air before Lightning pushed him down into the water for a few moments. When he came back up she reach around to his face and brushed his wet bangs out of the way.

Then just as Lightning was wiping the last drops of water form Hope's face he took hold of her right wrist. It wasn't a quick or forceful grab but it did take Lightning by surprise even if she didn't say or do anything to stop Hope.

"You have very soft hands." Hope opened his eyes and examined the delicate hand in front of him.

Lightning frowned at the word soft but didn't stop Hope from holding her wrist. "I know. There the too soft and frail hands of a girl."

"Your wrong Light. Your hands have gotten softer but you still have the same strong touch." Hope ran his thumb across Lightning's palm.

Lightning shivered at the feeling of Hope just stroking her palm. Just her hand and with nothing but his thumb and Hope was making her feel this way. "I have the same touch…" among other things Lightning was glad Hope couldn't see right now was the blush on her face.

"You still have the same strong touch of someone who grabbed everything in they own with their own hands. The same strong touch that pulled me out of darkness and taught me how to fight."

Hope then pulled Lightning's wrist close to his lips and blew. The feeling of Hope's hot breath on her sensitive skin was too much for Lightning. She pulled her hand free from Hope and turned the boy around.

The only part of Lightning's body Hope saw was the palm of her hand smacking him in the face.

"Bastard!" Lightning yelled before pushing Hope down under the water. She used that time to swim for the edge of the pool.

Hope up gasping for air and was hit in the head by something soft, it was his half dry pants. Taking the hint Hope pulled his pants on from under the water. Being weighted down by the water heavy clothing Hope had to slowly tread water until he reached the edge of the pool.

By then Lightning already had her panties on. Hope had just a half second to see Lightning bare back and shoulders before she pulled her shirt on. The hem of Lightning's shirt ended a few inches below her waist.

"Hold on Light!" Hope said as he pulled himself out of the water.

Hope was half out of the water when he felt Lightning's gunblade press against his neck. "Don't move." Hope did as he was told and slid back to the water.

Hope now stood in water up to his knees, shorts wet with water and hanging low on his waist. Lightning was only half dressed and still dripping wet but she stood high over Hope with gunblade in hand. Yet the gunblade was shaky in Lightning's hand as was her voice. "Just stay way from me."

"Light…"

"Why are you being like this Hope? You say I'm still the same Lightning. That you respect and admire me but they you act like this around me! Now your reaching out to me in new ways and saying things that confuse and hurt me. Hope, I just want to go back. I want everything to go back to like it was before this happened to me!"

Hope bowed his head, unable to hold Lightning's gaze. He started to tremble as if cold despite the hot water all around him. Then he lifted his head up and his teal eyes were so clear that they acted as both a window into his soul and a mirror for Lighting's own. "That will never happen."

The gunblade slipped from Lightning's unsteady hands and clattered against the stone floor. "Why?"

"The first time saw you during the purge I was struck by just how strong you are. I saw how you easily beat up Snow, a man I hated then with all my heart. I thought if I followed you then I could get strong, then I could kill him. Even after I told you about my plan you didn't do anything to stop me or dissuade me. You still trusted me with your knife and let me sort it out on my own."

"I really thought you were going to kill Snow that time but then I saw you fighting off that monster by yourself to save him. I was so very proud of you."

"After that and all the trust and faith you gave me I started to see you differently. I can't really explain it even now but I thought if I can't fight for revenge then at lest I can fight for you. What an odd thought for a child like me to have. Light your this amazing woman so strong and confident. What could I ever do help you? What could I ever be to you?"

"I'm not at all as confident as I seem."

"Sometimes when I looked at you Light I'd curses my parents for not meeting just a few years earlier. You know what it's like hating yourself for being child and wishing so hard that you were an adult. For you it was about being reasonable and owning your own life but for me if was about you. If only I could be more of a man for you."

"Hope stop it please. Just don't say any more…"

"Then this happened you and that unbelievable and amazing woman who was so high above me was now so close. It might be wrong and I might be taking advantage of your misfortune but tell me Light. How could I not reach out for you when your suddenly so close to me?"

Hope pulled himself out of the hot spring, still dripping wet and walked over to Lightning. She about to say something when he shushed her by placing a finger to her lips. "Light you can reject me, call me a fool for even dreaming about you or hate me and I'll except that. Just don't tell me not feel for you the way I do."

Hope removed his finger from Lightning's lips. "Just don't ever tell me not to love you."

There they were, the words that Lightning had dreaded and longed to hear. As she looked into Hope's eyes she saw mirrored in them the same doubts and fears she had but he was facing them bravely. Hope had confessed his love for her and in doing so bared a deep and private part of his soul.

Now it was all on Lightning. Would it workout? What will the others think? Well they even live through the next few weeks? So many thoughts tore through Lightning's mind it made her dizzy. For all the doubt and worry that plagued Lightning right now. For all the unanswerable questions both big and small she asked herself again and again there was one unchanging fact.

Lightning loved Hope every much.

Taking a deep breath Lightning calmed herself before giving Hope her answer.

She kissed him.

That one half a second touch of Lightning's lips on Hope's said more then hours of talk ever could.

Lightning took a step toward Hope and let him pull her close in a hug. She didn't at all mind his wet body dampening her shirt. First they let their forehead touch as they moved in closer. Then their noses rubbed together softly a few times, that had made them both smile and feel all giddy. Finally they kissed again.

The first kiss was about Lightning's accepting Hope's love. The second one was about commitment and was far stronger and deeper. Lightning felt years of isolation and feeling unloved flowing out of her. It was like Hope was taking away all the hurt and pain she felt with is loving kiss and tender hug. Lightning didn't know she had such a need for love until Hope started filling those emotional holes in her heart.

The second kiss had only ended when the third followed a heartbeat later. It was only after kiss five that Lightning had to pull back from Hope. "Wait."

"What's wrong?" Hope asked before starting kiss six.

"I'm afraid if we don't stop. That if I don't stop here then…" Lightning paused to have kiss number seven. "… if we don't stop here then I'm afraid of just how far we'll go."

Lightning had to put her hand between her and Hope push for some space. The feeling of her fingers on Hope's smooth, toned and wet chest was enough to make her want to pull him closer or even go farther and throw him to the floor. Lightning blushed red at her own human weakness and need.

Hope then back away as well realizing that Lightning was right. They hadn't meant to but already they were quickly heading for a relationship bridge that was one to far. "Sorry I was just caught up in the moment and didn't think."

Lightning looked away feeling ashamed that she herself had been caught up in the moment. "Are you disappointed?"

Hope still kept his distance from Lightning but reached over and tucked a stray lock of her hair behind her ear. "What are you talking about? The girl I've been crazy about just told she loves me. How could I ever be disappointed?"

Lightning smiled at Hope's patience and understanding. "It's that understanding and caring nature Hope that makes you someone worth taking that far. Just not yet, not now when I'm still so unsure about so many things."

"Lightning, I was fully prepared to wait four years before telling you how much I love you. Believe me when I say there's no need to rush anything between us. Just knowing that you feel the same way about me is more then enough, it's always been more then enough."

-an half hour later and back at camp-

Hope and Lightning found the camp deserted. The other's had talked about exploring some near by Pulse ruins in the hopes of digging up some useful information. Even with all the space of the camp to themselves Lightning and Hope just couldn't stand to be away from each other. They sat side by side leaning on each other as they waited.

It was another good hour or more until everyone came back.

"What's this, You two sharing body heat again?" Sazh joked seeing the closeness of both Lightning and Hope. Everyone had a small little chuckle at that.

Lightning took Hope's hand in her own by lacing their fingerers together and smiled at him. "What, you guys have never seen a girl with her boyfriend?" she then gave Hope a quick kiss on the cheek.

The only thing that would have been more shocking was if Lightning had turned into to a Sanctum fal'cie and attacked them. Lightning took some joy in their stunned reactions.

Sazh was speechless, for once.

Snow was literally bowled over and flat on his ass.

Vanille was on the verge of crying she looked so happy. In fact Lightning was slightly afraid that young Pulseain would burst at the seams.

Fang however was the best, a dumbfounded blank gag face replacing her normal proud expression.

"Well I guess we don't have to worry about those two not getting along anymore." Sazh said as he help Snow recover from his shock.

Fang pulled herself together quickly but she was even more stern looking then normal. "Vanille, we have to tell her."

"What! No, Fang we can't. Lightning and Hope just got together. Can't we just wait a little while?"

Fang grabbed Vanille roughly by the arm, the force was so enough that the young woman started to squirm . "You promised me no more lies. Lightning has the right to know and it's not up to you to keep it from her."

The harshness of Fang's words and the weight of their truth hurt Vanille more then the solid grasp on her arm. "Okay, I'll tell her."

"Tell me what?" Lightning asked. Both she and Hope had caught some of that back and forth from Fang and Vanille.

Vanille took a moment to ready herself. "When we where exploring the Ruins we found something. It can't help us with your brands but it will cure you. Lightning we found a way to turn you back into your old self, back into an adult."

Now it was Lightning and Hope's turn to be stunned. In a few short moment the love and freedom she found with Hope was thrown into question and doubt. Then before Lightning even noticed it, she had let go of Hope's hand.

Lightning had let Hope slip through her fingers.

-end-

Yes.

I am evil and love tormenting you.

My hat is off to CDdeath who saw a plot twist coming and any of you all who felt that same feeling. I didn't think I foreshadowed it all that much but I'm glad some of you picked up on that. In my book saying I love you isn't the end of the story but just another rising action.

So will Lightning do? Will she go back to being the woman she was or will she stay a teenager and love Hope?

It's a good question to ask yourself, if you could would you go back and do you adolescents over again? Even if that meant voiding out the person you had become.

Maybe some of you are still in your teens but I'm 27 and closing in on 30. And sometimes wonder what if. My answer however is No, I wouldn't change a thing. I have regrets about my younger years and do wished I did more with my time but I'm proud of the man I am and the life I've built for myself.

I'd like to take this time and apologize for what I feel is the weakness of this story. The whole getting Hope and Lightning into a bath together was a little too much like a set up for a lemon. Hope naked, blindfolded and in a bath was already pushing it too far for me. Not an unpleasant idea if you go for that but it was just getting to heavy.

I do feel that Hope's half naked and watery love confession to Lightning had the sensual and powerful impact that I was going for with this. Then I needed them to both pull back from that moment because I've already pushed them too far. That part was just what I wanted but the stuff leading up to that was kind of trashy.

So any what-the-ma-hell

Thank you again for reading and I hope you enjoyed it.

As always I look forward to any reviews good or bad and I hope to see you again for the next update.

Update…?

Date?

Maybe I should have Hope and Lightning go on a date while they still can.


	6. Chapter 6

Slayzer: Hey I'm back! -dodges a bunch of crap thrown at him-

Everyone: Where have you been all this time!

Slayzer: Chill I've been working on other things and this just fell to the way side.

Lightning: Right other things like Man him Up or Those of us left behind? What's with the run of Hope/Fang fics?

Slayzer: It's just something different and new. Besides don't you think they make a cute juxtaposed couple.

Lightning: No, I don't think that!

Fang: -sing song voice- Somebody's jealous.

Slayzer: Don't worry. Even if I'm torn between Light/Hope and Fang/Hope right now this Fic will be Light/Hope to the end. That being said I'm been working on a Light/Hope/Fang idea for some time. How do you feel about that?

Hope: -Covering a nosebleed-

Lightning: -Blushing madly-

Fang: -Slightly intrigued by the idea-

Slayzer: Don't limit your fandome but expanded on it is what I say. Now let's end this and get on to new chapter. Sorry for the long delay in touching back with this.

Final Fantasy XIII is owned by Square Enix and not me and I make no profit off the use of it.

Also in this Fic is the song Dreams by Fleetwood Mac which likewise I do not own any part of.

Unnatural Progression

By. Slayzer

Part Six

Pulse was a wild and beautiful world and over every new horizon was something amazing for the travelers from Cocoon to see. However despite the wonderful view everyone was acting like this was a funeral. The stillness of it was getting on Lightning's last good nerve. It was a good thing Hope was there to keep her calm. Even without saying a word his presence near her was soothing.

Every once in a while during their march to find this place Lightning would reach out and take Hope's hand. Part of her was still so embarrassed to be seen, even if only by her close friends, walking hand in hand with a boy. Then some times when she was sure no one was looking she steal a kiss from him.

So far nothing had changed. Hope still loved her and he showed that in his quite way and the quick hidden affections but they hadn't talked yet. Not about Lightning turning back into an adult or what that would do to them.

'What's there to talk about? This is the right thing to do.' Lightning thought to herself as she looked over at Hope unable to read him. Hope looked thoughtful and slightly conflicted but when he look at Lightning all she see was his love for her.

"We're here." Fang said from up front.

Lightning and Hope suddenly found each others hands and held tight.

The ruins were majestic. Even in decaying for centuries they had this timeless strength and beauty that defied it's abandonment. It must have been a place of great beauty when it was still in use. The ruins guarded one end of a lake with what must have been gardens dotted lake side walkways. Wildflowers now over ran the grounds and with night closing the whole place was terribly romantic.

Sazh looked around approving of the place. "Nice. I could see young lover strolling around the lake side by moonlight."

Vanille nodded in agreement. "It has that romantic atmosphere. A perfect place for young lovers."

Lightning didn't like where this was going and hurried to moved on past them. "Come on. The sooner I can get changed back to normal the sooner we can get back to our quest."

"What's the rush?" Snow asked.

"No rush but I want to get this over with." Lightning answered but on the inside she thought. 'before I change my mind.'

"I can't believe that you of all people get a second chance at a childhood but your still such a stick in the mud that you won't enjoy it. Lightning there isn't anything you want to do over?"

"What I want to do is to go back to being who I was."

Snow pulled Serah's tear out of his pocket. He held the crystal teardrop up and let it pulse with light for a moment then nodded along with whatever Serah was saying. "I see so that's how it is. What about your prom night Lightning?"

Lightning stopped cold as she felt everyone watching her. "Why, what did Serah tell you?"

"Just that she once saw you crying because you couldn't go to the prom."

Vanille put a consoling hand on Lightning's shoulder. "Lightning that's so sad."

Lightning quickly brushed Vanille's hand off. "That was a life time ago and I don't care about it anymore. Besides I can't endanger everyone by staying young like this just to go on a prom date."

Vanille wasn't giving up. "Then we'll have a prom right here. After all you have everything you need. A deeply romantic setting and..." Vanille grabbed Lightning and turned her around to face Hope. "... a cute boyfriend so share it with."

"It takes more then that to have a prom. What about formal ware?" Lightning was just grabbing at straws here not that a romantic night with Hope was unappealing. She just didn't want to second guess herself and not changer back into an adult.

Sazh started digging in his coat and pulled out an internet store access card. "I never thought this would come in handy out here."

Fang took the card from Sazh and read it out loud. "Formal Knights. Dresses, Suits and accessory's for those romantic adventures. I'd ask how Sazh got this but it seems we have the dress problem solved."

It was looking like Lightning wouldn't be able to get away from this.

Hope who had been affectionate but quite the whole day walked up to Lightning. He looked nervous but he calmed down before specking. "Light would you do me the honor of being my date tonight?"

Lightning felt her heart skip a beat and her face flush. For all her resistances to the idea of a makeshift Prom date with Hope she was kind of looking forward to it. "I would like that very much."

Hope smiled that pure wonderful smile of his that went right to Lightning's heart when he heard her say yes. It was an infectious smile to and soon Lightning was grinning like the happy love struck fool she was.

That was when the hair on the back of Lightning's neck stood up. It was the same feeling she get before a monster ambush. A moment later Fang and Vanille leached on to Lightning's arms and pulled her away from Hope. A heartbeat later and Snow sneaked up on Hope an pulled the boy away as well.

Fang waved Snow and Sazh away. "You guys take care of Romero and we'll see what we can do about our reluctant Juliet."

Lightning tried to get free but she found Vanille's grip was like steel. "Sorry Lightning but we're going to do everything we can to make this night special for you. So don't make this harder on yourself then you have to."

'Who are you people?' Lightning thought at the sudden turn around in her friends behavior.

Sazh playfully rubbed Hope's hair as Snow held the kid down. "Don't worry girls well spruce our boy up and make him into a presentable gentlemen. We'll be ready say after sunset."

"That would be perfect." Fang said nodding along.

With that the boys and girls separated to help prepare Hope and Lightning for their prom night. Even heroes like to play match maker.

-Girls Side-

Lightning was in the middle of Fang and Vanille, so she couldn't get away, as they thumbed through the Formal Knight's website looking at evening gowns and dresses. So far all of Lightning's choices had been rejected as too plan or unflattering.

Vanille and Fang had a virtual shopping cart full of their picks for Lightning. The range in taste was as different as the woman themselves. Dresses from cutesy with frills to sleek and reveling. Lightning was getting sick of all this fussing around. All she needed to have a date with Hope was Hope and all this junk was just getting in the way.

"That's the one!" both Vanille and Fang said at the same time.

Lightning looked at the dress they both liked. It was a sliver shimmery dress that hugged to body with a lace up back.

"It's eloquent and refined." Vanille said approvingly.

"It's showcase her legs and that exposed back will help drive Hope wild." Fang said agreeing with Vanille for once.

"Fine whatever." was all Lightning would say but she had to admit it was a nice dress if only the hem was a little short for her normal taste. 'more like a cocktail dress then prom dress.'

Now that they had the dress getting the shoes was easy and at long last Lightning thought this shopping ordeal was over.

How wrong she was.

Vanille was scrolling through the shopping menu. "Okay we have a dress and shoes so next we need some accessory's."

"I don't think I'll need anything else."

"au contraire. I think it's time that you upgraded your unmentionables." Vanille brought up the shopping menu for lingerie. Lightning was so embarrassed that she couldn't speck.

Fang smiled. "Good idea Vanille. I think Lightning needs some crotchless panties."

That comment of Fang's manged to knock Lightning out of her embarrassment. "Why the hell would I need crotchless panties for?"

"Easy accuses."

"Fang might be a little over the top with her suggestion but Lightning you are going to need new underwear of this dress. If you ware what you have now it will leave a visible panty line. Besides you know what bras and panties were made for right?"

"Support?" Lightning answered a little unsure of herself because she thought it was a rhetorical question. The blank looks that Vanille and Fang gave her told Lightning that was not the case.

Fang just hung her head. "When you say stuff like that it makes me wounder if you ever were an adult to begin with."

"But it evens out after all Hope's a child and Lightning's as naive about this kind of stuff as he is." Vanille then took Lightning by the hand. "Now come on Lightning and let your big sisters teach all about unlocking your feminine side."

Lightning some times thought that the only parts of her that were feminine were the ones she was born with. She never cared about what shoes went with what outfit as combat boots always went with military clothing. As a girl Lightning was always a tomboy but after her parents died she focused on a career in the military. All the little adolescent dramas girls have about boys, clothing and love never hit home for her. It was always something for other girls who didn't have responsibility's. Maybe they were right and it was time for Lightning to at lest try and be a little feminine if only for one night.

"Okay I'll buy some useless overpriced scrap of lace if if think it will help but Fang doesn't get to make any suggestions."

Vanille nodded in agreement. "Fair enough."

"Wait a minute why am I being banished? If anyone here knows what sexy is it's me." Fang was getting upset at being so easily cast aside just when they were getting to the good stuff.

"Because we want Lightning to look good for a night on the town not a night out on the street. Me and Lightning will take care of this you go and get some stuff for her hair and makeup."

"You mean there's more!" Lightning whined.

-Over at the Boys Side-

Hope was already dressed in dark black slacks. A white formal dress shirt and black vest. He was looking good but getting annoyed by Snow who was struggling to tie a teal colored necktie on Hope. "Just hold still for a moment. This is a lot harder to do on someone else then it is on yourself."

Hope slapped Snow's hand away and took the tie in his own hands and quickly pulled it into a double knot. "I told you I didn't need help with my tie."

"Sorry. I'm just nerves and needed to do something."

"What are you nerves about Snow? It's my date."

"I know that but it's just..." Snow started to tear up a bit. "... I was so happy when Serah said she be my wife. I never had a real family but now I have a wife and a sister and soon I might have a little brother."

"What are you talking about?" Hope asked as he blushed and pretended not to know what Snow was talking about.

Snow just pulled Hope into a hug. "Is it all right if I start calling you Bro right now."

Hope struggled against Snow's hug and pounded on the bigger man with his fist but for all the good it did he might as well been hitting a rock. It took a blow to the back of Snow's head from Sazh to get him to let go. "Easy off the kid your ruin his new threads." Sazh handed Hope a black formal coat and took a step back to see how all the cloths pulled together on him.

"Looking good. I got to say our boy here cleans up nicely. Just need a few final touches." Sazh then stuck a blue orchid boutineer in Hope's coat. "There now he's ready for a night out."

"I still don't know why you guys going all out for me like this."

Snow shrugged. "Who knows. Maybe like the girls we got caught up in playing matchmaker but I think we all see how hurt and lonely Lightning is and know your the only one who can do anything about it."

"Because now she's a kid like me?"

"No. Even before this happened to Lightning I always knew you'd be the one to get through to her when no one else could."

Sazh nodded along. "Yeah she defiantly has a soft spot for you, probably the only one she has in the steel mask she calls a personalty."

Hope didn't believe it was like that. He never thought he was the only one for Lightning not after all he spent most of time telling himself that it couldn't work. Yet he loved her and she loved him and that was enough. Even if it was only going to last for the rest of tonight, it was enough.

-That Night-

Lightning stood alone on one of the many old lake front ruins, it was like a gazebo built out into the lake's waters. The decorative stone railings had become over grown with flower bearing vines. The tranquil waters reflected the night sky giving the place the sense that it was lost in a void of stars both above and below. It really was a romantic place even after the years of neglect.

Lightning rubbed her arms nervously as she had never felt like this before. She thought the hem of her dress was to short and to thin. She could almost feel the gentle lake breeze as if it was on her bare skin. Her hair had been done and light blue eyeliner brought out her fierce violet eyes. Lightning bit her lip and could taste the glossy lipstick on them.

'What I'm I doing? I look like a fool and I've felt more exposed then in this stupid dress. I also can't believe I let Vanille talk me into wearing a thong or that the cost 25,000 gil just to have a peace of lace wedged up my...'

"Light?" Hope asked but it was more a greeting then a question.

Lightning took her mind off her privet discomfort and turned to face her date. Hope looked so sharp and handsome in that dark suit. It cut a sharp contrast with his pale skin and sliver hair. However his hair had been slicked back and Lightning didn't think that look become him very much.

Hope was near speechless at seeing Lightning all dressed up like she was and couldn't form any words at all. He was so befuddled that Lightning couldn't help but smile at how cute he was. For all the trouble getting dressed up had been the pay off to leave her boyfriend totally speechless was well worth the trouble.

"Well what do you think Hope?"

"I... you look... … just absolutely." Hope stopped to gather himself. "...ummm your shoes are really nice."

Lightning cocked an eyebrow. "My shoes? Hope you mean to tell all 'this' and your looking at me feet." she did a little spin to show off herself and make Hope even more shy.

"Well no, I mean your just so amazingly beautiful I don't know were to start but Snow said I should complement your shoes first. He said that girls like that so..."

Lightning playfully flicked Hope in the forehead. "Snow's a good guy but I wouldn't take his advice all time and one more thing." Lightning grabbed Hope's hair and started messing it up as best as she could. It didn't take much as soon as she messed it up his hair fluffed out again like it always had. "Much better."

"Come on it took Sazh forever to get my hair like that."

"Sorry but you look better with your hair as is, your cuter that way."

Hope made a kind of sour face. "Cute? I'm a boy and boys aren't cute."

"Okay, your more ruggedly handsome with your hair that way."

Hope smiled a bit and took a step closer to Lightning. "You think I'm handsome?"

"Yes and ruggedly so." Lightning took a half step closer to Hope and kissed him.

As they kissed Hope and Lightning couldn't help but hear some rustling form the shoreline. It was faint but Lightning was sure she heard Vanille saying. 'Don't hog the binoculars Fang! I want to look too.'

"Those little sneaks I thought they said they leave us alone tonight." Lightning said as she glared at in the general direction of the sounds.

"Shall I do something about them?" Hope asked.

"If you would be so kind."

Hope spread his arms out wide and begin to cast a magic spell. Veil magic started to pour down around the ruins, it was like a translucent hazy wall of fog fell around the ruins. It was quite impressive that Hope had the ability to cast magic on a whole building. When he was done with his work Hope had made it so that none could see inside but he and Lightning could look out. Hope's efforts had left him a little winded.

Lightning hugged Hope from behind and let her head rest on his shoulder. "You never stop surprising me Hope."

"For you Light I always give it my all."

From out in the darkness they definitely heard Vanille weak whining protest. "That's no fair you cheaters!" Hope and Lightning had to laugh at that and they could just see Vanille's pouting face in their minds.

"So now that we're all dressed up and we have ourselves some privacy what are we going to do now?" Lightning asked.

Hope walked over to a duffel bag he brought full of, as Snow put it, goodies for the night. "I brought some music so would you like to dance?" he then pulled out a portable Mp3 player with speakers.

"I'm actually not a very good dancer." Lightning confessed feeling a little embarrassed.

"Your kidding. I've seen dodge and weave past blades, fangs and claws hundreds of times without getting a scratch."

"Yeah but I don't do it to music. I just can't move my body to musical rhythm. "

Hope selected the song "Dreams" by Fleetwood Mac from the play list. Even on the small speakers the powerful and almost haunting melody filled the room. Hope held out his hand to Lightning. "Don't think about the music Light. I'll take the lead so all you have to do is move your body with mine."

_Now here you go again  
You say you want your freedom  
Well, who am I to keep you down?  
It's only right that you should  
Play the way you feel it_

Lightning took Hope's hand and let him guide her with his body to the music. It was hard for her and she stepped one him once but Hope didn't brake stride. Hope just smiled as seeing Lightning who was always so sure of herself now so flustered.

_But listen carefully to the sound  
Of your loneliness  
Like a heartbeat drives you mad  
In the stillness of remembering  
What you had  
And what you lost...  
And what you had...  
And what you lost_

(Oooooh)

Step by step Lightning falling into the rhythm. Not with the music but with the boy she loved. It was much easier for her that way. Somehow it was natural too. Being held so closely and gently in Hope's loving arms just felt so right.

_Oh, thunder only happens when it's raining  
Players only love you when they're playing  
Say, women...they will come and they will go  
When the rain washes you clean, you'll know  
You'll know _

Lightning was now totally comfortable dancing with Hope. She didn't even have to think about how to move she just did and it was in perfect harmony with Hope.

_Now here I go again, I see, the crystal visions  
I keep my visions to myself  
It's only me  
Who wants to wrap around your dreams and...  
Have you any dreams you'd like to sell?  
Dreams of loneliness...  
Like a heartbeat drives you mad...  
In the stillness of remembering  
What you had  
And what you lost...  
What you had...  
Ooh, what you lost_

Hope manged to steal a kiss from Lightning mid step as they danced and spun around. Lightning herself had to fight to keep from laughing or likewise losing control. Never did Lightning ever believe that dancing could be this much fun. She realized why this was different. It was because she was dancing with someone she loved.

_Thunder only happens when it's raining  
Players only love you when they're playing  
Women, they will come and they will go  
When the rain washes you clean, you'll know_

Suddenly she was the one taking the lead in their dance. It was seamless transition and Hope fell right in with Lightning's movements. This was no power struggle or fight for dominance but two lives moving in harmony and sharing their love for each other.

_Oh, thunder only happens when it's raining  
Players only love you when they're playing  
Say women, they will come and they will go  
When the rain washes you clean, you'll know  
You'll know  
You will know  
Oh, oh, oh you'll know_

Hope and Lightning had stopped dancing before the end of the song but they still held one another in their arms. They kissed again and again as the music poured into the night.

"So what now?" Lightning asked as she let go of Hope.

"How about some food?"

Hope dug through that duffel bag again and pulled out several MREs and a linen blanket.

"Formal dinning?"

Hope tossed an MRE at Lightning watch she easily caught. "Well there are something we can't do anything about. Besides don't you think their something romantic about a camp dinner on a moonlight night by a lake?"

"I assure you Hope there is nothing romantic about Meals Ready-to-Eat. Then again it is the company more then the food that makes a meal enjoyable."

Lightning joined Hope siting on a blanket as they ate their military rations and that was as close to fine dinning as you could get out here in Pulse. The food was rather good and sharing that meal with Hope made it even better. Even if the dinner was nothing new Hope did have something special for dessert planed.

"I was saving these for some time but if now isn't a special occasion then I don't know what is." Hope then pulled out a hidden bag of Bodhum Rock Candy. Lightning's face lit up at the sight of the colorful candy orbs, she loved Bodhum Rock Candy.

Lightning and Hope happily tore into the bag of candy like, well children. They slowed down when then realized that this was the last bag of Bodhum Rock Candy in the world.

"I didn't think you had such a sweet tooth Light."

"I don't normal but Bodhum Rock Candy is special."

"I know it's really good."

"No that's not way it's special to me." Lightning paused for a moment and then got really far way as if she was going some place else in her mind. Then Lightning nodded as if giving herself the okay to talk about it. "Me and Serah didn't have much money after our parents died so things were hard. Then every once in a while, when we had the Gil to spare me and Serah would split a bag of Bodhum Rock Candy. It was just a small treat in a really hard time in our lives."

"I can understand that. The morning before the purge started in Bodhum I begged my mom to buy me this bag of candy. She agreed only after I promised not to spoil my lunch. This bag of candy was the last gift my mother ever gave me."

"I had no idea. You didn't have to share something so important with me. Especially if it was a gift from your mother." Lightning felt honorable now. This candy had more meaning then just being the last bag of Bodhum Rock Candy. It was a memento from Hope's mother.

"It's alright Light. The people we've lost live on in the memory we carry in our minds and hearts not in the things we carry in our hands. Seeing you enjoy every little piece of candy with delight and having you open up to me. Those are all memory's I'll treasure much more then a bag of candy gone stale." Hope pulled out that last piece of candy, It was a red one. "Here you have it Light. I know you love the red ones."

"Everyone loves the red ones but let's share that piece." Lightning said and popped the piece of candy into her mouth.

Lightning then pulled Hope forward and kissed him. The candy passed from her mouth to his. Hope would then pass the candy back to her using his tongue. The kiss took on the flavor of the candy as they never once broke apart until the candy had disappeared completely. As they ended the kiss Lightning ran her tongue across Hope's teeth to get the last tastes of cherry and of Hope. That was so incredible that both of them were panting for air and blushing madly.

Lightning smiled slyly. "Best piece of candy ever."

Hope took Lightning in his arms and pulled her to him. They where now siting front to back with Lightning on his lap. "Is it alright if we stay like this for a while. I just want to hold you like this for a little while longer."

"Hope... ..." Lightning wanted to say something but couldn't as he kissed her neck and ran his finger down her legs.

They stayed like that for some time. Not moving not wanting to break whatever spell held them there. It couldn't last and what Hope and Lightning didn't want to talk about had to be addressed.

"Your going to change yourself back into an adult aren't you?"

"Hope please don't make this harder then it already is. I have to do this."

"No you don't have to Light but you chose to."

"Then what's the other choice! I'm not as strong as I was so is it alright for me to endanger everyone, my sister, the world and you for my own selfishness."

"Don't use us as an excuse. I'm not so weak that I can't lookout for myself and your not the only one fighting to save this messed up world. I know you've lost so much and to add to it losing yourself like you did but didn't you gain something with it. Isn't this feeling..." Hope stopped to kiss Lightning. "...worth something too?"

"Hope this feeling won't change. I've been in love with you before this happened to me and when I go back to being an adult I will still love you."

"But we won't be able to express that love. You can't tell me it won't be different between us when your seven years older then me. We won't be able to be like this when I'm a child and your a grown woman."

"Hope do you know what I see when I look deeply into your eyes? I see the man that your going to grow into. The kind, compassionate, strong and wonderful person you are but grown into a equally amazing man. Hope I know going to grow into the man would wait my whole life for."

"I feel the same way about you Light. If I knew you'd wait for me then four years is nothing. Not when I could love you for everyday of every year for the rest of my life. I just needed to hear that you feel the same way about me. Let me up for a moment I brought you surprise."

Hope let go of Lightning and to two rose to their feet. Once again Hope dug through the bag of stuff Sazh and Snow had given if for his night out. There were a few things that Hope brought along without anyone knowing. "Here you go Light I thought you'd need these."

Hope had packed Lightning battle gear and gunblade knowing full well that she would want to go back to being her old self.

"Why did you pack all that and how did you know what I'd do?"

"I guessed this whole Prom set up was everyone trying to get me to convinces you not to go through it. To show you that you'd be better off staying young with me but I never wanted to do that. I just needed to hear that you love me and would wait for me."

Lightning bowed her head silently. "You know Hope if you really didn't want me to go back to being an adult or if you loved me more the way I am right now then I would..."

"Don't say it Light. This is your choice about your body and your life. All I want is for you to make the choice you believe to be right. Whatever you do I don't want you to have any regrets even if that puts as farther apart for a time."

"Thank you Hope." Lightning kissed him quickly. "I should go before everyone else puts their two Gil in."

"Then I'll leave you so you can get changed." Hope turned to leave but Lightning stopped him.

"Wait! I mean you don't have to go. You could just stand over there."

"What without a blindfold?"

"I trust you not to peek and you are my boyfriend after all so why should I be uncomfortable."

"If your sure then I stand over here and I promise I won't peek?" Hope moved away a bit but not to far and kept his back to Lightning so as to give her some privacy.

Lightning looked down at her battle clothing that Hope had packed for her. She remember being so embarrassed when Fang and Vanille had to alter her old uniform down to fit her. Now she wasn't ashamed of her fifteen year old body and had even found some advantages to it, like Hope. Lightning checked to make sure Hope's Veil spell was still in effect and that no one could see her.

Lightning then stepped out of her dress shoes and felt the cold stone on her bare feet. She shivered but it wasn't the cold but what she was planing that sent her body tingling.

Lightning turned away from her gear and toward Hope. 'I don't want spent four years without you Hope while regretting this one night I could have been with you and didn't.'

Lightning took off her dress and underwear and let them pool on the floor by her shoes. The she started to walk over to Hope with her body as bare as her feet. The fast pounding of her heart and the rush she was feeling was enough to drive the night chill away as she approached Hope.

"Hope?" Lightning said softly as she tapped him on the shoulder.

"You changed clothing already? That was... …." Hope turned around and found himself unable to speak. He move to shied his eyes with his hand but Lightning was too quick and caught his wrist.

"Don't look away Hope. This will be the last night that you can see this body so you better appreciate it while you can." Lightning stepped in close to Hope and kissed him. She felt his body go rigid in more then one way.

Hope put his arms on her bare shoulders and let them fall down her back. "Light are you sure?"

Lightning started playfully pulling on Hope's teal tie. "Hope if you had to describe my personalty wouldn't the words determined and relentless come to mind. Well right now what I'm so determined and relentless to get is you Hope."

"But I never... ..." Hope started to say before Lightning cut him off with a kiss.

"Don't worry. This time I'll take the lead and you just move your body with mine." With that Lightning pulled off Hope's tie and let it fall to the floor.

That night Hope's tie would not be the only thing Lightning took form him.

-end-

Once again I end on smut when I really wasn't playing too. I must over sexed or under loved if my mind keeps bringing me to the gutter.

I wanted to write this Prom date chapter for months now and had made several failed starts at it but I just couldn't crack it. Oddly enough it's prom session so inspiration and motivation was easy to find. Even without that I knew I wanted to have Hope and Lightning slow dance to Fleetwood Mac's Dreams. For an album that came out in 1977 Rumors is one of the best put together albums of all time and I can still ware it out. -Personal history fact- As my dad tells me he and my mom listened to that record endlessly the summer after they got married in 1979.

lastly the candy kiss was from a one shot that never got anywhere. The idea was Lightning secretly wanting some of the bag of candy Hope had while they were in the Gapra Whitewood but being to prideful to ask. In the end he shares that last piece, that was already in his mouth with Lightning, making it a second had kiss. That night Lightning goes to sleep wounding if it was the candy that was so sweet or was it the taste of Hope. When it think about kissing while splinting a piece of hard candy sounds like a chocking hazard so I wouldn't try it.

Anyway it's been real and I'll update later and by later I mean less then five months. I hope so anyway.

Review and tell me what you thought as I always appreciated your opinion.


	7. Chapter 7

Final Fantasy XIII is owned by SquareEnix. Much to my disappointment. They mess up one of my favorite video games in Parasite Eve with this Third Birthday crap and next they'll do it to FF XIII. I am greatly saddened by this.

Still I don't own anything in this fic and don't make any money off it.

Unnatural Progression

by Slayzer.

Lightning tried to move but couldn't. She was so tired and sore but in a strange blissful way. It didn't help that her body was wrap around Hope while they shared the tight space of being tangled together in a blanket. She started to crawl out of the when Hope's arms warped around her and she felt his lips on her back just between her shoulder blades.

Lightning smiled as she felt her will to escape their little love cocoon fading. "Why is every time I try to get out you pull me back in?" she asked with a laugh as Hope pulled her closer to him.

"Maybe it's a sign you should stop trying to leave."

"I have to do this Hope."

"I know but rest for right now."

Lightning slunk back into the sleeping bag with Hope and closed her eyes to sleep. "Fine I'll sleep but first thing in the morning I'll have too..."

Hope kissed the back of Lightning's neck. "I know but you can face your destiny tomorrow but for tonight just rest." she didn't argue anymore and dossed right off. He smiled seeing how soundly she slept.

That night as Lightning slept in the arms of her lover she had a powerful dream.

-Lightning's dream-

The first thing Lightning knew when she opened her eyes was that she still asleep and this was a dream. A kind of wakening dream that felt all to real. She stood alone on a rocky and barren field with only a few jagged gray boulders laying around overgrown tall grass. The sky was a endless black lightning cloud. Bolts of purple lightning danced in the sky but never touched the ground.

Serah had once gone on about how dreams were our subconscious trying to tell us something. Then what was this dream trying to tell her?

A voice from somewhere behind Lightning startled her, it startled her because it was so familiar. "It's so cliched that I'm ashamed it's my dream."

Lightning turned around and saw herself, her older self standing behind her.

The adult Lightning regarded her younger self with a cold distasteful sneer. "Hello Claire."

-back in the real world-

Hope felt Lightning struggling in her sleep as if she was having a nightmare. "Light are you okay?" he tried to wake her but it didn't help.

Hope saw her brand acting up like it was summoning Odin but it was also acting differently. He reached out to her and suddenly the brand on his wrist started to reacted painfully.

-Dream world-

(A/N for convenience sake the Young Lightning will now be called Claire and the adult one will be Lightning.)

"Don't call me Claire."

"Then don't call yourself Lightning. A child like you doesn't have any right to my name."

"It's my Name!"

"No Claire it isn't and you know it. Just as you know trying to be me will only get yourself killed."

"I know that! That's why I'm going to get cured and go back to being my true self."

"If that's true then why are we here?" Lightning asked as she advanced on Claire. "You want my power to save everyone but your letting your feelings hold you back. Even now your thinking some useless thoughts about him."

Claire bit her lip and tried to hold back her anger. "My feeling for Hope are not useless."

"They are if you don't have the power to back them up and that's why you need me."

"Maybe I'm stronger then you think 'Lightning' and just maybe I don't like dealing with your shitty attitude anymore. Maybe I don't need you anymore."

Lightning approached her younger self. "If that's how you really feel." she then tuned to walk away but spun around quickly and struck Claire so hard across the face that it sent the girl to the ground. "Then I don't need you either!" Lightning said as she reached for her gunblade.

'Damn she is strong, I got to give Snow credit of taking that kind of abuses.' Claire thought as she was falling. She pushed herself into the fall and rolled way after she hit the ground. A moment later Lightning's blade cut the space where she have been. Claire stayed low to the ground and drew her own gunblade but kept it in gun form and fired several shots at Lightning.

The shots missed but it did push Lightning back and give Claire the space and time to get back to her feet. Claire's quick reaction gave Lightning pause. 'She's not lacking for guts or determination then again that was never a problem for me at any age.'

Claire glared evenly at Lightning. "I don't run from a fight. Even if it's a war with myself I'm not backing down."

"Come on you know as well as I do how this will end. We're evenly matched in almost every respect but I have the edge in reach and power."

"Is that what you think? Well there's something I have that you don't."

"What's that little Claire, love? Are you going to tell me some soft warming feeling that Hope gives you will help you defeat me."

"It's not love but hate. You know how much our life is messed up and how much we hate it. You know the long hours I've spend looking in a mirror and hating the person looking back at me. Now I can finally get rid of that miserable cold bitch who was always glaring back at me from the mirror!"

"Just try it you brat!"

-Real World-

Whatever was happening to Lightning Hope was sure it wasn't just nightmare. She seemed to be in real pain. She was sweating and her body would suddenly jerked around as if she was fighting something.

"Light it's okay just wake up!" Hope's words didn't have any effect and Lightning was still locked in her nightmare.

Just as Hope was about to go and get help pain shot through his arm. His brand was reacting to whatever was happening to Lightning. Soon his whole body felt like lead as his head started to get fuzzy. 'No I have to get help.'

Hope then passed out.

-Dream World-

Hope opened his eyes and he was fine but he knew this wasn't the real world. This was a dream and not one of his own. What made that obvious to him was the fact that he saw two Lightning's fighting it out.

The older Lightning differently had the advantage in this duel but it wasn't totality one sided. The younger Lightning while cut and bruised had managed to land some good hits on the older one.

'This fighting must be what's causing Light's pain. I don't know what's going on but if one Lightning kills the other then I'm afraid to even think of what would happen to her in the real world.'

Hope took off running as fast as he could. He knew that no matter how this fight ended Lightning would lose but she couldn't see that.

Claire dogged backwards as Lightning pushed her height advantage for all it was worth. Such small things but with all their other abilities evenly matched the small things where all that mattered. You could see that Claire was getting desperate and Lightning was getting frustrated. Both of them wanted to finish this fight right now.

There would be no dodging or deflecting, with this next attack this fight would end with one of them dieing. Claire charged up her most powerful magic spell and Lightning switched her gunblade into gun mode for a point blank attack.

A split second later a boomerang knocked Lightning gun away and the shot went wide. Then Claire felt a pair of hands on her wrist pulling her back before she could attack with her magic.

Out of a shard instinct both Claire and Lightning attacked whoever it was that interfered with their dual without stopping to think about who it was. By the time they saw it was Hope it was to late to stop and he was shot by Lighting and blasting by Claire's magic.

Hope fell and hit the ground hard.

Whatever animosity the two Lightning's had were quickly forgotten and they both rushed to Hope's side. He was wounded badly but with both their healing powers working as one they pulled him through. The sight of Hope's teal eyes opening was possibly one of the most reassuring moments of Lightning's life.

Hope smiled weakly as he saw the faces of the girl and woman he loved looking down on him with such kindness. "If this is a dream don't wake me up anytime soon."

Claire hugged Hope tightly and cried ever so lightly.

Lightning sighed with relief seeing that Hope was okay but she was also upset with him. "I thought you promised me that you weren't going to do this Macho crap anymore."

"Sorry but I had to stop you both. I don't know what's going on but your fighting is hurting your body in the real world."

"That!" Lightning pointed a finger at her younger self. "Is not my body!"

Claire rose up hand on her gunblade but Hope got between the two of them before they could start fighting. "Knock it off the both of you! What is this did you suddenly develop a spit personality?"

Claire slowly lowered her weapon. "Don't make it sound like I've gone crazy. This is just me resolving and inner conflict."

Hope glared at both Lightnings and rubbed his temples. "Of course both of you being you, instead of talking about like normal people you two whipped out your gunblades and start carving each other up. All the while not one of you stopped to think about what this is doing to your body in the real world. -Sigh- It's not easy being your boyfriend."

Even the adult Lightning felt foolish being lectured to by Hope but he was right. Claire and Lightning were the same person with the same bad habits and tempers.

Hope took Claire's and Lightning's hand and held them together. "I can't make this decision for you. I just want you to know that I love you for your heart and soul no matter what you look like. So please don't fight and just talk, after all if you can't be honest with yourself then who?"

Lightning and Claire looked at each other, really looked for the first time and thought about why they were here. What were the reasons holding her back from moving forward. It was time to come clean.

"I'm afraid." Lightning admitted much to Hope and Claire's shock. "My childhood was the worst time of my life. No one every saw me, I was just the poor little orphan girl who was to be pitied but never helped. I hate that part of my life so much and even if you say it would be different this time. I know Serah would be there for me like I wasn't there for her and I would have Hope with me to make it better. I know that but still I'm afraid that it will be the same painful time of my life all over again, that I'll go back to being a nobody."

Hope turned away from Lightning and looked to Claire. "So what's stopping you from turning back into an adult."

Claire couldn't look Hope in the face. "If their something holding my back, it's you Hope. I know you said you'd wait four years for me and I was so happy to hear you say that. But the reality is nothing is going to bridge the seven years between us. It's a hard thing for a woman to date such a younger man and I don't want to put you through that. If I turn back into an adult then I'm putting so much distance between us that can never truly be closed."

"I can see how you have such strong feelings on each choice but fighting isn't going to get you the answer you want or need, in fact it's hurting you physical. Still there's no reason you can't work this out peacefully."

"What do you think I should do Hope?" Claire asked.

"Like I said, this is your choice to make Light but I love you no matter what you decide to do." Hope then got up to leave.

Lightning stopped Hope before he got to far. "Hold on. You just heard me spill my deepest secretes and fears. I think I should get to know you better too Hope. Come on tell me something you'd never say to any other living person."

Claire was night next to her older self. "Come on Hope. It's not everyday you share a dream with your lover. Tell me something about yourself."

Hope looked away and thought about it for a long moment. "Sometimes I'm glad that my mother is dead."

Claire and Lightning were both taken back by that but Hope continued. "My dad kept a woman as a mistress. Mom knew long before I did and she never did anything about it, never fought with him about it or even talked about. Even other people in our high class neighborhood knew and gossiped about my family all the time. I only found out because I overheard my mom talking to a neighbor about why she didn't divorce dad. You know what my own mother said? I can't leave Bartholomew, think about what it do to Hope. The boy is too fragile and weak for something like that, I was ten. For the next four years I lived with the shame of my father's mistakes and being my mother's excuse. They both filled me with such shame and guilt and for a time I believed it was my fault we were failing apart as a family."

Hope stopped to brush some tears out of his eyes. " My dad cheated on her but those were not fake tears when he heard she died. I'm sure that even with all the happened she still loved him even if she didn't have the pride to admit that or the strength to leave him. They were both imperfect people but I love them. Still sometimes I'm glad their gone and I can just be their son and not their excuse or bare the burden of their mistakes."

Hope stopped talking as he felt two sets of arms hold him tightly. Lightning and Claire hugged him so strongly and with such love that he felt this own pain diminish.

Claire looked up from Hope and over at Lightning. "I know you know thinking what I'm thinking."

Lightning blushed. "Don't say that! I mean sure I'm thinking it but Hope's..."

"I can't believe I'm saying this but get over yourself and live a little. Beside this is a dream so it's not like it counts."

Lightning still blushing nodded her head. Then suddenly both her and Claire leaned in close to Hope and kissed him on each cheek. Hope felt lighter and lighter and knew he was waking up and would soon leave. As his mind woke up his dream body faded away even as Lightning and Claire held him close.

"_Choose"._

Lightning and Claire looked around but the voice was talking to them in their minds not ears.

"_I am Tritoch the fal'Cie of reflections both true and twisted. I dwell in this lake and in the sea of your unconscious mind. Now chose and be like you were or live on as you have become."_

Lightning looked up into the sky. "We... no I have decided."

Claire took Lightning's hand. "That's right. There is only one of me and I'll be true to that and myself no matter what I look like."

"_Yes. I see the debate and conflict inside you is over. Choose."_

Both Claire and Lightning took a breath and spoke their answers aloud. So now when Lightning awoke she would be as she chose to be.

-end-

This is not going to be a voting thing. Wouldn't be much of a vote as I see a strong Teenage Light moment in the reviews.

Now let me be frank with you all.

In my mind I want Lightning to go back to being an adult. That's what I want to write but I can see how this could end with a younger Lightning as well.

So I'm going to do both.

All update two different endings.

Epilogue Lightning- Where Lightning turns back into an adult.

Epilogue Claire- Where she stays a teenager and goes by her old name.

Look for them both on my next, and last update.


	8. Epilogue Claire

Final Fantasy XIII is owned by Square Enix and I make no money off the use of their characters.

So here we are at last and thank you all for sticking with me as I know I'm far from consistent with updating my fanfiction. I know I once said that I'd do two ending for this but I don't think that will happen. As a twist in the Lightning ending I was going to make Hope age like six years or so he could be with Lightning. Since Square Enix already aged Hope nicely FFXIII-2 my enthusiasm for it has run dry.

More then anything It took so much just to do one ending and I really am eager to at least cap off one of my fanfictions before I give this up for good. Not saying that will be quieting anytime soon as I still get a thrill from doing this but life demands more of me. I can't help but feel as if this is a childish pursuit and how long can you keep that up?

Unnatural Progression

-Epilogue Claire-

by Slayzer

It was just after dawn and already Vanille was wide awake. Her eyes fixed on the ruins that Hope and Lightning had spent the night in. A rough hand fell on top of her head and ruffled her hair. Vanille had felt that touch enough in her life to know who it was and didn't even need to turn around to face that person.

"Don't do that Fang. I hate it when you mess my hair up like that."

Fang smiled then wrapped her arms around Vanille. "Don't worry about them. If there are two people in this world you'd ever have to worry about it's those two."

"I know Lightning and Hope can handle themselves in a fight but that's not what I'm worried about."

"I wasn't talking about their fighting strength. I was talking about how those two were made for each other and nothings going to change those feelings. Kind of like you and me." Fang then gave Vanille a quick kiss.

It was another rare moment when Fang and her lover could share their affections without anyone seeing. Grand Pulse for all it's wounder didn't look favorably on relationships like the kind that Fang and Vanille had.

Vanille moved to kiss Fang but she had let go and started off for the camp. "Come on or you'll miss breakfast and I'll eat your share."

Vanille got all huffy and ran after Fang.

Sazh saw them Fang and Vanille coming back and offered them some food. "So anything to report on the love front?"

Vanille blushed for a moment thinking he was talking about her and Fang. Luckily for her Fang was much cooler. "We can't see or hear Hope and Lightning but I'm not worried about those two."

Snow was a little more pessimistic then Fang. "What about if Sis turned back into an adult and then dumps Hope?"

Sazh had to laugh at that. "You don't get it do you Snow? That's not going to happen."

"How do you know she's not going to go back to being a adult?"

Sazh shook his head. "I wasn't talking about that. Even I don't know what Lightning's going to do but I'm sure she'll never leave Hope. She loves him and that's not going change even if she dose."

Snow was clearly the only one with real doubts about this. "What makes you so sure Sazh?"

"Because I felt it the moment I meet Lightning. I knew that more then anything in the world that Lightning needs a man to lover her. After that I was sure Hope would one day be that man Lightning needs even if they didn't know it until now."

Fang agreed with Sazh but hearing him say that all Lightning needed was a man set her off. To many times in her life people had said that to her, that and much more hurtful things too. "So all any woman needs to be happy is a man right? Do you feel that way about me to Sazh? You think all I need is some man to make my life complete!"

Sazh looked at Fang like she was crazy. "What the hell are you talking about Fang?" then Sazh smiled playfully at Vanille. "Don't you already have a good woman in your life Fang?"

Fang and Vanille both turned bright red with embarrassment. Snow looked at them oddly. "Look we never cared how you two got along in private but did you two hide your relationship from us because you thought we disapprove?"

Vanille jumped up shocked by Snow and Sazh's understanding. "Then you don't hate me for loving Fang? Your really okay with us being like this?"

"What, you don't think Cocoon has gay people or same sex marriages?"

Fang and Vanille stared at Sazh with wide eyed amazement. "Cocoon allowes Same sex marriages!" it was like he had relived the hidden truth of the world to them.

"You mean Oerba didn't?" Sazh asked.

Vanille started to cry and Fang hugged her so tightly and almost wept with her lover. "In Oerba loving someone of the same gender was always looked down on and discouraged."

"Why?" The intolerance of homosexuality in Oerba was as puzzling to Sazh and Snow as Cocoon's acceptance of it was amazing to Fang and Vanille.

Fang answered while Vanille cried in her arms. "Because it wasn't productive. Everything in Oerba had to help the survival of the city and that also meant make the next generation. Loving someone of the same gender was viewed as wasteful and a self-servicing luxury that didn't help the clan."

Snow understood what Fang was saying. Men and women were meant to make children with each other and anything other then that narrow view was unnatural. Such thinking had died out in Cocoon centuries ago. "Come on you two don't think your the first gay friends I've had do you? Hell me and the rest of the NORA gang have been trying to get Yuj a boyfriend for like a year now."

Fang and Vanille both felt foolish and more then a little ashamed. Ashamed not for the love they had for each other but for thinking that Snow and Sazh would have the same prejudices that everyone on Gran Pules had. They trusted Sazh and Snow with their lives in battle but some irrational fear kept them from trusting them a part of themselves.

"Do you think Lightning knows about us?" Vanille asked worried for one last moment that it might change her friendship with Lightning.

Snow had to at laugh that. "Knowing her it's not that Lightning didn't know but she most likely just didn't care."

Vanille let out a breath she didn't know she was holding. "Well then I guess that only leaves Sazh."

"What? Leaves me for what?" the man in question asked.

"To get hooked up. Your the only one here now in need of someone special." Vanille said happily.

Sazh however was having none of it. "No, don't even think about it and more over I don't need or want you guys mess around with my love life."

"So you have someone then?" Snow asked taking the girls side in this.

"Yes, I mean No! Well kind of..." Sazh the sighed "...no not really."

Fang put and arm around Sazh. "Come on now Vanille this isn't like we just hook him up with any woman. After all she's got to be a mother to Dajh as well."

Snow jumped right in. "I know this hot single blonde from Bodhum. She's kind of a quite bookish sort but very sweet. That's kind of your type isn't it."

"How would you know what my type is?"

"I was sure Vanille told me about some hot blonde woman chasing you everywhere."

Jihl Nabaat came unwanted into Sazh's mind and he blushed despite the bad history they had. Still before things got bad they had been better. Good even and what made it worse was when she was with Dajh and him Sazh could almost feel like he had a family again.

"Ohhh he's blushing." Vanille said with a childish squeal of delight.

"God damn it. All of you just lay off me." Sazh said wishing they leave him a lone but knowing they wouldn't. After all he was their friend to and they cared too much about him.

-Lakeside Ruins-

Hope looked down at his reflection in the water before splashing some cold water of his face. Last night had been unreal both in the dream and what he and Lightning had shared. He blushed at the half remember dream he shared with Lightning and the all too real night of lovemaking. He moved to wipe some of the excuse water off his face when a pair of hands covered his eyes.

"Guess who?" a girl's voice asked. Hope knew that voice very well, from the sounds that voice made fighting, crying and after last night he even knew the sounds she'd made in the throes of passion.

However their was something new, a lightheartedness and almost carefree joy that wasn't there before. As if the speaker had unburdened herself from a heavy wight.

"Light." Hope said with a smile.

The girl pulled herself up against Hope's back and held him closely but still covered his eyes. He drew in a sharp breath of air feeling the closeness of her body. Hope was not wearing a shirt and neither was she.

"Lightning?" Hope was far less sure of himself.

"You really don't know who I am?"

"I know your the girl I love more then my own life. I know the sound of your voice and the touch of your hands. I can even feel the familiar beating of your heart." Hope felt the softness of her chest push against his back as she held him closer. "I just don't know what name you want me to call you by."

"Then let me give you a clue." one of her hand left Hope's eyes and started to trace a letter on his sensitive chest. Hope's sense of touch was already so heightened that he had no trouble deciphering what she spelled out on his body.

"C... L... A... I... R... E..." Hope said as he felt each letter like it was being etched it into his soul. To end the word she kissed him on the cheek.

"Claire." Hope said as her lips left his cheek and her hands left his eyes.

Claire put her chin on Hope's shoulder and cuddled closer to him. "You know I never liked my name. This is until right now when I heard my name pass through your beautiful lips."

Hope turned to kiss the young girl behind him but she back away slyly. "Come back to bed Hope." Claire said pulling him toward the sleeping bag that was for now their own little love nest.

"So I guess we're going to be sleeping in today?" Hope asked as he followed the love of his life.

"Who said anything about sleep? I just want you back in bed with me."

-Several Hours Later-

Claire couldn't tell how much time had pasted. May it was a few hours but it may have just been a lifetime. Looking over at Hope sleeping so contently right next to her it felt like an eternity had passed. As far as Claire was concerned it really had been a lifetime. Lightning's whole life time was lost to her.

No that wasn't true.

Claire couldn't stop being the fighter and warrior that Lightning was any more then she could stop her own heart from beating. Being young again wasn't the lonely burned she had thought it was, no with Hope next to her she knew her life would be far from lonely.

More over it wasn't like Claire and said farewell to Lightning this would just be more of a short goodbye. Claire was now her own role model and she knew just how to grow up to like Lightning. No she be even better then she was before.

Hope slowly started to wake up. He sighed as he saw this angel next to him. Then his face darkened a bit and he pulled Lightning close to him. Hope had buried Claire's face in his shoulder and he wouldn't let her turn around.

It only took Claire a moment to figure out what happened. "We're not alone anymore are we?"

Hope glared darkly at Snow, Fang, Sazh and Vanille who were all standing around looking dumbfounded at the sight before them. The clothing that they had painstakingly picked for Hope and Claire last night now strewn around the floor. The two of them in a state of undress and sharing the close confines of a single sleeping bag.

Snow had recognized that dark look in Hope's eyes and knew it was in their best interest to leave, now. Everyone just turned around and walked away with out comment. Everyone that was but Fang who waited till they were almost out of earshot.

"Ha! I told you, I told you! That's 500 Gil you owe me Sazh!"

Claire almost felt like crying she was so mortified. "I never thought I'd miss four solid walls and a locked door as much as I do right now!"

Hope for is part just laughed the whole thing off as only he could. "It's not that big a deal."

"How can you say that?" Claire asked pushing away form Hope.

"For one I could never be embarrassed by you Claire and secondly..." Hope kissed Claire's blushing face. "... Your so cute when you blush."

Claire couldn't stop the smile from crossing her face. "Jerk."

Now facing the fact that the world wasn't just the two of them no matter how much it felt like it. Hope and Claire knew that they couldn't keep the others waiting any longer. They got dressed in their normal clothing and went to meet up with everyone all the while acting like nothing happened.

Thankfully no one looked like they had anything to say. Fang was about to say something but Claire cut her off. "Not a word Fang not one damn word!"

It seemed like their still a bit of Lightning in Claire.

Fang spreed her arms and looked hurt. "What? I can't even congratulate a friend."

Claire almost wanted to say no you can't but she saw how everyone was looking at her and Hope. They weren't going to make fun of her or judge her. Fang, Vanille, Sazh and Snow were truly happy for her and Hope. They all honestly wanted to congratulate them on being a couple.

"Alright just don't make a big deal about..." Claire was cut off by Vanille laughing happily and wrapping her up in a big hug.

"Congratulations Lightning!"

The congratulations Snow and Sazh gave Hope consisted more of subtle but knowing nods and smirks. Hope tried to down play it but he was clearly embarrassed by the attention and some of the 'advice' Sazh gave him for next time he was alone with Claire.

Claire manged to pull herself free of Vanille. "Okay that's enough now come on we wasted to much time here as it is. Don't we have a world a to save?"

Fang looked a Claire oddly. "What about turning back into your normal self Lightning?"

Claire smiled that confident smile that only she had. Then she faced her friends and without a single shred of doubt or regret in her voice said. "I am my normal self. I could never be anyone but me and just so you all know my name..."

Her smile grew as she enjoying this more then she thought she would.

"... is Claire."

-The End-

Last night I had a nightmare. In this dream gone wrong I was sitting at a table and a blonde woman was berating me. She was going over something I had giver her, I think it was a job application or a short story. I don't really know what it was but she was ripping into me for being talentless, a poor speller and questioning how I even got out of high school.

When your subconscious turns on you then you know you've got problems.

So I woke up pissed as all hell and to prove it to this snobby bitch in my dream I pounded this out like it was my revenge. I know I'm not the best with grammar and spelling but I enjoy this kind of writing and that mean more to me then anything.

Stepping away from my personal blonde demons maybe your wandering why the Vanille/Fang fluff? I don't ship them and I've never even read a fan-fiction with them as the main couple. For me this was about current events.

I'm not one to tell anyone their politics but I live in the United States there's a lot of talk about constitutional amendments both state and federal banning gay marriage. It inspired me to think about how the world of Final Fantasy XIII would deal with such relationships.

So I thought of Cocoon be a more progressive society and Oerba being more repressive. I know historically it's the reverse with ancient civilizations being okay with and even embracing homosexuality and more modern societies shunning it.

Now I'm not trying to make any political statements or change anyone's mind here but for me as a human. I believe the heart goes where the heart wills and how could anyone try to legislate that.

Not like I can preach after writing love stores about a fourteen year old boy and a twenty-one year old woman. I really don't believe that's okay in life but having wrote it I don't think it gives me any moral high ground. I guess even in love we all draw a line somewhere with morality.

With that I thank you all for reading this and as I sign off this Fan Fiction for the last time I will simple say this.

Tell me what you thought of it. The good and the bad as it is always appreciated. Because if no one was moved be it positively or negatively by the words I put down then just who am I doing this for?


End file.
